Never again
by DiScOrD81690
Summary: He always wanted to protect her. When faced with something he could not protect her from, the only logical answer was to get rid of the problem. Rated M for naughty language, violence, abuse. Being taken down to redo.
1. Kids will be kids

Uchiha Sasuke sat on the park swing set, idly kicking his feet back and forth. The day had started off so well. His Aniki had had the day off and had taken him to the park. They had spent the morning together and for once in a long time Sasuke had felt like a kid again. With in his home there was always a awkward feeling around his parents. Uchiha Fugaku was always pushing his youngest son to be like his eldest one, training him to the point the younger Uchiha was about to collapse.

But today, today that had all felt like a distant nightmare.

Now it was all to real once more.

He sighed and stared at the afternoon sun. It was still early in the day, early enough that few other children were seen at the park. When Itachi had been called away for his ANBU duties he had debated on going home and training. But instead he had decided to swing, and there he sat, nearly an hour later.

Sighing once more Sasuke pushed himself back slightly and continued to stare at the ground as he swung back then forth.

_Maybe I should just go home. Aniki wont be coming back today, and it could give me some decent training time. _

Shaking his head he was just about to leave when he heard a small sound from beside him.

"You mind if I sit here?"

He nodded but didn't look up, waiting on the person next to him start to ask questions about Itachi. He was used to it by this point. Every person that he came into contact with, young or old, would start to ask questions about Itachi or gush about how much he was blessed to be born into such an illustrious clan as the Uchiha.

When the other child said nothing he looked up, wondering what they were waiting for. What he saw had his eyes narrowing in confusion.

A young girl swung back and forth beside him, her dark hair pulled back into a short braid that swayed back and forth as she pumped her legs. She wore a bright green dress with a white sash tied around the center and no shoes adorned her small pale feet. Her eyes were closed as she swung, a smile of pure child hood bliss painted across her face.

Who was she? He had never seen her before. Though that couldn't be the judge of anything because, truthfully, any girl he came into contact that was his age he paid no attention to.

As if sensing she was being watched she opened her eyes and looked back at him as she continued to swing. Sasuke couldn't help but notice that her eyes were some of the most unique he had ever seen. Cobalt with a ring of black around the pupil, making her eyes look like storm clouds that had yet to break open and pour across the land.

"Is somethin' wrong?" She asked smiling.

He blinked and came back to reality. Frowning slightly he shook his head, "What are you doing?"

She cocked her head to the side and her swing began to slow, "I'm swingin. What's it look like?"

He shook his head, confused, "Do you know who I am?"

Her swing came to a stop and she continued to smile, "Should I?'

His expression changed from confused to angry, "Don't play around. Of course you know who I am."

The girl, not liking his tone, glared "Well, if I'm supposed ta know who you are, do you know me?"

He glared right back, "No. I don't."

She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose in the air, "I'm Higurashi Kagome. So there. Now you know who I am."

He stood up and slid his hands into his pockets, "Uchiha Sasuke."

A smile crossed her face and Sasuke rolled his eyes, _here is comes. _

She surprised him though. Instead of staring to gush on himself or his family, she stuck her hand out to him.

"Its nice to meet you Uchiha-san."

He stared at her hand as if afraid it was a trap. When she cocked her head to the side and a confused expression covered her face he couldn't believe it wasn't a trap.

"Don't you know how to shake hands Uchiha-chan?"

He scowled and grabbed her hand and shook it quickly before letting her go. Kagome smiled and folded her hands behind her back before rocking back on her heels.

"See? That wasn't so hard was it Uchiha-san."

He hned and stuck his hands back in his pockets.

Silence fell between them as Kagome continued to rock back and forth on her heels. He stared up at the sky and watched as the sun started to rise higher.

"So." she started, looking around the park, "Would you like to come play in the sand box with me, Uchiha-san?"

He looked over at her and her smile was sweet and innocent. He sighed and nodded.

She squealed and clapped her hands before darting off towards the sand box. Sasuke was left staring at her dumbfounded. How did she not who he was? Every one did!

Though, now that he thought about it, Higurashi wasn't a name he was familiar with. So that meant she wasn't part of the main clans in Konoha. Watching her as she sat in the sand box and began to dig around he began to doubt that she was even from a ninja family.

_That's it. _He thought, his eyes hardening slightly, _she's a citizen. That's why I don't recognize her. _

Sighing he no longer really wanted to go play with her. After all, what good would it do him if she was just a civilian? But he had already agreed to do so and his father would scold him if he ever learned Sasuke had gone back on something he had said.

Walking over to the sand box he sat down across from her. She smiled at him and began to burry her legs beneath the sand.

"You know," she stated, patting the sand down before dumping more in top of it, "my Kaa-san always says that sand is a natural cleaner. Like it takes away all the dead skin."

Sasuke felt a smile tug his lips, "You mean an exfoliant?"

Kagome nodded, a laugh bubbling from her mouth, "Yea. That word."

He watched her with amused eyes as she buried her legs completely and laid back in the sand, sighing.

He took this moment to look around the park. He half expected to see her parents, or perhaps an older sibling, sitting over on the benches watching her play. When he saw no one he looked back at the little girl.

"Where are your parents?'

She opened her eyes and looked at him with out sitting up, "Kaa-san is working, and Tou-san is at the hospital. Sofu is watching my Otouto. I came to the park when he started screaming."

Her face scrunched up as if she had tasted something unpleasant, "How can something so small make so much noise? I hope I didn't cry that much when I was a baby."

Sasuke snorted and began to fill his hands with sand and watched as the granules ran between his fingers.

"All babies cry. It's the only way they can tell people that something is wrong, like their hungry or need their diaper changed."

Kagome made a face and sat up, disturbing some of the sand around her legs, "Well, its loud and it hurts my ear drums."

Sasuke shook his head and continued to fill his hand with sand to watch it run back down.

"Hey Kagome-chan!"

Her eyes brightened as she scrambled to get up. Not bothering to brush the sand off herself she ran from the sand box over to a boy with spiky blonde hair.

Sasuke watched with narrowing eyes as she hugged him and he picked her up. A delighted laugh tour itself from Kagome as he spun her around and set her back down on the ground.

She grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the sand box where Sasuke still sat. Sasuke glared at the new boy, not liking the way Kagome seemed so familiar with him. She had been playing with him, not this other kid.

Even if he had wanted to leave moments before when he realized she was just a civilian, it didn't matter.

She was playing with him.

Sasuke looked the new boy over and realized he looked vaguely familiar. His blue eyes where all for Kagome, not even bothering to acknowledge Sasuke was there. This gave the young Uchiha a moment to study him.

Blonde hair stuck out at odd angels looking as if it desperately needed to be cut. Dark blue eyes shined with happiness when he looked down at Kagome who went back to burying her legs. Three marks covered each of his cheeks, giving him the appearance of having whiskers. He wore a plane white t-shirt and plane shorts, completed with a pair of sandals that looked like hand me downs.

Then his appearance finally clicked.

_Uzumaki Naruto. The kid that causes so much trouble for my Tou-san with all his pranks. _

His gaze hardened into a glare as he watched Naruto dribble sand down onto Kagome's hair. She squealed and batted at her hair before smacking him in the arm.

"Naruto-kun! Don't do that! My Kaa-san did my hair all pretty and your messing it up!"

Naruto laughed, "Your hair looks fine any way you wear it Kagome-chan!"

She glared at him before crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air. She turned to Sasuke and continued to glare.

"Does my hair look pretty Uchiha-san?"

"Did you say Uchiha, Kagome-chan?'

She nodded and pointed to Sasuke, a smile on her face, "Yea. Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto turned to the boy and glared, "What are you doing here, Uchiha? Doesn't your district have a play ground especially for its kids?"

Sasuke smiled coldly, "Yes, but this is a public park. So I can come here if I want to."

Naruto snorted and turned back to Kagome, "Come on Kagome-chan. Lets go play on the see-saw. You don't want to play with people like him."

Kagome cocked her head to the side, his statement confusing her, "What do you mean people like him?"

Naruto snorted and stood up, grabbing her hand, "Snotty people. Ones that think and act like their better than every one else."

"That's because we are better than everyone else, dobe."

Naruto glared down at him, "See Kagome-chan? They are all stuck up snooty know it alls. I bet he doesn't have any friends so that's why he was over here buggin' you."

"For your information, dobe," Sasuke started, looked up at him, "she was the one to come up to me."

Naruto fisted his hands at his sides, "As if! And even if that's the case, Kagome-chan's just nice. She would never judge someone before she knew them, unlike you, teme!"

Sasuke was about to retort when Kagome suddenly stood up. The insult died on his lips when he saw the young girl glaring down at him. She stomped her foot in the sand and crossed her arms across her chest once more.

"Just stop it, you dummies!"

Naruto glared down at Sasuke, "See what you did? You made Kagome-chan upset!"

She turned her glare to Naruto, "No, he didn't! You both did!"

They both stared at her in shock as if to say 'who, me? What did I do?'

Her foot began to tap, "For your information, Uchiha Sasuke, just because you come from a powerful clan or where ever you come from doesn't make you better than me or Naruto. And you!" she turned to Naruto, her blue eyes dark with anger, "How dare you call him stuck up? I mean he may not be better than anyone, but that doesn't mean he cant have pride in who he is or where he's from. Like my Tou-san san always says, if you cant be proud of who you are or where you're from, what else can you have pride in?"

Her blue eyes began to mist over, "And how dare you just think I wouldn't want to play with someone because of who they are?"

Naruto blushed and began to rub his arm, "Awe, come on Gome-chan. I didn't mean it like that."

She sniffled, "Its what you said. And." she turned to Sasuke, a angry blush covering her face, "if I was bothering you, all you had to do was say so. I didn't make you come over here and play with me."

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something but snapped it right back closed. He wasn't sure what to do. All he knew was that he had upset her and that, for some reason, made him feel bad.

She sniffled once again and turned from both of them. Walking out of the sandbox she started to head towards the exit of the park.

Before she got to far she turned her head and looked back at Sasuke.

"It was nice meeting you Uchiha-san."

Her voice was cold, making the bad feeling increase in Sasuke. He did not want her upset with him.

But before he could call her back the blonde went running after her, spewing apologies. She ignored him and kept walking, her nose stuck up in the air.

Sasuke huffed and stood up.

_What do I care if I upset her or not? She's just a civilian!_

Looking back up at the sky he realized the sun was now high above him. His Kaa-san would have lunch on the table soon and no doubt his Tou-san would have left a list of chores and training exercises for him to do.

He sent one final glare towards the other children before huffing and walking towards the opposite exit.

He made a mental note that next time he wanted to go to the park, he would just stay with in the Uchiha compound.

…

As the summer months began to dwindle and fall began to set in Sasuke drove himself harder and harder. He would be starting the academy this year, which meant he was finally going to be on the proper path to surpass his Aniki. His Tou-san had been disappointed the year before when Sasuke hadn't been able to join the academy. He was now eight, a year behind when Itachi had joined. But Sasuke was determined. He would graduate early, just like Itachi had, and make his Tou-san acknowledge him for once.

When his course schedule came Sasuke was ecstatic. They would be studying things he already knew, which would give him the upper hand against his class mates.

His Tou-san seemed to be thinking along the same lines because when he looked over it he had actually smiled, "There should be no reason you are not top of your class all through out this year, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded and took the sheet of paper from his Tou-san before walking to his room.

Itachi stopped him just outside of his bedroom door, dressed in preparation for his next mission.

"Do you receive your class schedule, Otouto?"

Sasuke nodded and handed Itachi the paper. Itachi took one look over it before handing it back to him.

"Tou-san is right, you will excel this year."

Sasuke nodded and felt a smile curl his lips. It was meant as a compliment, and he would take it as such.

Itachi flicked him in the forehead before turning away, "I will be dropping in on your class from time to time. To check on your progress and all that."

Sasuke nodded, rubbing the spot on his forehead, "you'll see Itachi. I'll surpass you in no time."

Itachi grinned and shook his head before tying his mask over his face and walking through the house.

Sasuke walked into his room and slid the door closed behind him. Sighing he set to work on preparing what he would need for the next day in class.

…

The first day of the academy turned into a fiasco. Parents dropped their children off as they made their way to their jobs, whilst the older kids greeted those they had met before or had had class with.

Fugaku stood outside of the academy and shook his head before looking down at Sasuke.

"I must get to the police station. Always remember to do nothing but your best, for I will accept nothing but the best from you."

Sasuke nodded and walked into the academy with out so much as a backwards glance.

"I see there's a new Uchiha joining. Fan-freaking-tastic."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and glared over at the one who had called out to him. The silver haired nin stood amongst his friends, a boy with long black hair that was loose around his shoulders and another boy with dark brown hair pulled up into a high pony tail. A girl walked up to them and threaded her arm through the silver haired boys arm. He looked down at her and smiled.

"Why hello Kikyou. Did you have a good break?"

She giggled and kissed him on the cheek, "Other than missing you Inuyasha."

He smiled and gave her a quick peck on the lips before turning towards the others and walking towards their class.

Sasuke glared at his back as they walked away. Taisho Inuyasha was the youngest half brother to Taisho Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru had graduated with Itachi after jumping through the ranks at the academy. They had both graduated early but where Itachi had been promoted to ANBU at age thirteen, Sesshomaru had been promoted to captain. It had taken Itachi nearly a year to catch up with Sesshomaru and now he was the main competition for Itachi. The Uchiha and Taisho clans were almost bigger enemies than the Uchiha and Hyuuga.

Sighing Sasuke walked into his class and was surprised to see that he was one of the few who had made it thus far. A few people sat in the back, faces he recognized from seeing around town. Shikamaru Nara sat in the back, staring out the window, while Choji Akimichi sat in the row in front of him, a bag of chips open on his desk. Ino Yamanaka sat in the front row, she and Sakura Haruno glared back and forth at one another.

Sasuke sighed and walked up to a seat near the front of the class room. He had hoped that he would arrive before either of them. They had been a thorn in his side since the summer before hand. Every time they saw him they thought they needed to call out to him or worse yet cling to him. He didn't understand it.

Folding his hands beneath his chin he stared at the chalk board and waited for them to notice he was in the room.

"Oh! Hello Sasuke-kun!"

Sighing he did not look over at them. Less he encourage them the better.

"He doesn't want to talk to you billboard brow! Do you Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke continued to ignore them, even though he felt the vein in his temple began to pulse.

_Please just shut up._

"What did you call me, Ino pig?"

Ino laughed, "Billboard brow. Or does your giant forehead obscure your hearing as well?"

Sasuke sighed and tuned them out.

As more children began to flitter into the class room he saw a few more faces he recognized. To his immense displeasure the Hyuuga heiress walked into the room, looking nervous and out of place. He had been certain her father would keep her back another year seeing as how timid she was.

When what appeared to be the last student walked into the room the teacher walked in. A tan skinned man with a scar over his nose walked up to the front of the room and tapped a ruler on the desk.

"Attention please!" He shouted over the noise of the room.

The students quieted down and he smiled, "Welcome to the first year genin classes. I am Iruka, your sensei for the next three years. We will start with calling role."

He picked up a clip board and cleared his throat to begin when a disturbance outside the door silenced him.

Raising an eyebrow he set down his clipboard and began to walk over to the door when it slid open with a clatter.

"I told you we were gonna be late!" Came a female voice.

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up as a small female walked into the room, looking frazzled. She wore a black tank top over a mesh short sleeved shirt and a pair of plane black pants. Her black hair was once again pulled back into a braid, albeit a tighter one this time. Dark blue eyes shined with irritation as she turned to the door.

"Well? Get in here!"

"Dang Gome-chan! I'm coming!"

Sasuke groaned inside of his head. Why oh why did he have to be in a class with _him_?

Naruto walked in behind the apparently irate female, boasting an orange and black jumpsuit, a pair of goggles placed atop his unruly hair.

Kagome turned to their sensei and bowed low, "My apologies sensei. I had to drag Naruto from bed and then he argued with me that this wasn't the right door."

Iruka sighed and nodded, "That's fine Higurashi-chan. Just find a seat and try not to let it happen again."

She nodded and grabbed Naruto's wrist. Dragging him up the steps she passed by Sasuke with out so much as a glance. If she had even known he was there she made no sign as she sat down in the back, pulling Naruto into the seat beside her.

Iruka cleared his throat, "Well, I'll continue then."

He went through role call, ticking off the names as he went. Sasuke, so lost in his own thoughts, almost missed it when he called out his name.

He had been wrong.

Very, very wrong.

Higurashi Kagome was not a civilian.

He could not say if she had any real skill, but the fact that she was indeed bred from shinobi made him rethink everything he thought he knew about her. Which was something Uchiha Sasuke did not enjoy doing.

When class started Iruka began to question their basic knowledge.

"Ok. First question. What is proper chakra control?"

Sasuke snorted and began to raise his hand but he was surprised when Iruka smiled and pointed to the back of the class room.

"Yes, Higurashi-chan."

Sasuke turned in his seat to watch her smile and lower her hand, "Proper chakra control is the ability to control your chakra to do what you wish it to or to do a particular jutsu."

Iruka smiled, "Can you give us an example?"

She nodded, "One example is if you channel your chakra into your feet, and can hold the proper amount, you'll be able to do things such as walk on water or run faster than the wind."

Iruka nodded, "good, good. Next question."

Sasuke turned back to the front of the class and listened to the next question. But, once again, he was beat to the answer by the girl sitting in the very back of the class.

By the time lunch had been called Sasuke was impressed. He hadn't thought there would be another person in his class that would be as well studied as he was.

As they all made their way towards the doors Sasuke looked up at the back of the class room to see Kagome was still seated. She and Naruto were talking quietly. Naruto said something with a smile that made Kagome smile and blush lightly before smacking him in the arm.

Sasuke scowled, not liking the way they interacted together. There was something about the knowledge that Kagome was indeed shinobi that made him want to spend more time with her. Possibly get to know her and to show her that he wasn't as arrogant as she thought he was. He wanted to prove to her that it wasn't arrogance. That he was in some ways entitled to the way he felt. The Uchiha clan was one of the strongest in Konoha.

He had every right to say he was better, because it was true.

Sighing he walked from the class room. Maybe he would be able to talk with her once she came outside?

After all, Naruto couldn't stay attached to her side all day.

…

Once everyone had exited the class room Kagome turned to Naruto and sighed.

"Why didn't you set your alarm clock this morning, Naruto?"

He yawned, "Come on, what's the big deal?"

She laid her head down on the table, "What if Iruka tells my Tou-san I was late? He doesn't need the extra stress right now."

Naruto sighed, "I guess everything is not going alright with his treatments?"

Kagome shook her head, "The medic's just told Kaa-san that there's nothing more they can do for him."

Naruto shook his head and leaned back in his seat, "Dang Kagome. I'm sorry."

She sighed and closed her eyes, "Kaa-san hasn't stopped crying. I wanted to stay home this year, just to help her with Souta-chan, but Tou-san wanted me to start. He wants me to do my best."

Naruto chuckled softly, "Well, that should be easy for you! Did you see that teme's face when you answered Iruka-sensei's questions faster then he could?"

Kagome smiled, "You shouldn't call people names, Naruto."

Naruto snorted and folded his hands behind his head, "Your just too nice Kagome-chan. You don't think he would call us names if we gave him half the chance?"

Kagome sighed and sat up, leveling Naruto with a flat look, "The only way he would ever have any reason to call _you _a name Naruto would be if you started it. He wouldn't call me a name anyway."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "What makes you believe that?"

Kagome shrugged and leaned back in her chair so she could comfortably tilt her head back and stare at the ceiling.

"Well for one, I'm a girl." she ignored Naruto's snort of disbelief and continued, "and for two, I wouldn't do anything to irritate him enough to call me a name. And I bet if you wouldn't have called him a name first he wouldn't have done so right back."

Naruto shrugged, "I cant help myself. His father is the one that keeps me in so much trouble."

Kagome looked over at him, her eyebrows raised, "His fault that you keep getting into so much trouble?"

Naruto had the decency to blush, "Well, I mean, he just asks for me to play pranks on him."

Kagome shook her head before falling silent.

Iruka walked into the room, carrying a bento box he had packed that morning. Looking up at them he raised an eyebrow.

"Higurashi, Uzumaki, why aren't you two outside eating?"

Kagome sighed, "Because Naruto made me late this morning I forgot my lunch at his place."

Naruto gave her a curious look, but she quieted him with a look before he could speak out. When she had gone to his house that morning she hadn't been carrying anything, let alone a lunch.

Choosing to heed her unspoken warning Naruto nodded, "Yea. And I don't pack lunches."

Iruka sighed and opened his bento, "Would you like some of mine? Its just rice balls, but it will tide you over until you can get home tonight."

Naruto jumped up and nodded whilst Kagome remained sitting, "No thank you Iruka-sensei. I'm not hungry."

Naruto looked back at Kagome before sighing and sitting back down beside her, "Yea, neither am I, sensei."

Kagome shook her head and pushed against Naruto's arm, "Go. I'll be fine."

He shook his head and lowered his voice, "I wont eat in front of you."

She sighed and Iruka shrugged, "Suit yourselves."

Once Iruka seemed busy with his meal Naruto turned to Kagome.

"Why are you lying Kagome-chan?"

She sighed and laid her head back on the desk. Turning so Iruka couldn't read her lips she spoke so low that Naruto had to lean in to catch what she was saying.

"Tou-san's hospital bills are getting more expensive. If I don't eat, then that puts more food on the table to Kaa-san, Sofu, and Souta."

Naruto shook his head, "But that doesn't mean you need to starve yourself."

She shook her head once more, "If I accept charity people will start to wonder. Its why I didn't go outside with the others. I didn't want any one asking why I didn't have a lunch."

Naruto fisted his hands on the desk, "You could have told them the same thing you just told Iruka."

Kagome shook her head once more, "Then what would they think tomorrow when I still didn't have a lunch? Its easier to lie to one person than a whole bunch. Before long someone would catch on."

Naruto laid his head down, "This is so wrong."

Kagome shrugged, "Its my choice."

Naruto rubbed his temples and sighed. He knew when Kagome got like this there was no convincing her differently. Laying his head down on the desk, he closed his eyes.

_Might as well get some sleep in before class begins again. _

A few moment later Kagome heard a snoring sound coming from her left. Rolling her eyes she stood up and began to walk around the class room, her arms held behind her. Naruto was just a worry wart. She was fine.

Her stomach growled slightly and she blushed.

_Maybe I should have taken Iruka up on those rice balls. _

Shaking her head she wrapped her arms around her stomach and continued to explore the room.

"I'm going to speak with the other faculty. Are you and Naruto going to be alright by yourselves?"

Kagome turned to Iruka and nodded before motioning to the sleeping blonde.

"How much trouble can he get into while sleeping?"

Iruka chuckled and walked out of the room, being sure to close the door behind him.

Kagome stared up at a poster on the wall for a moment before the door opened once more. Sighing she rolled her eyes.

"Forget something Iruka-sens…"

The statement died on her lips as she turned towards the door. Her eyes connected with the other students and her eyebrows shot up.

"Hello, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke nodded in her direction, "Higurashi-san."

She turned away from him and continued to study the poster. It was of the chakra points on the body, showing the flow of chakra and how it affected the different areas.

"You are…quite knowledgeable, Higurashi-san."

She jumped when his voice came from so close. Turning she met his dark eyes, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Something wrong?"

She sighed and ran her hand over her face, "Don't sneak up on people like that, Uchiha-san."

A small smile curved his lips, "My apologies. I did not realize I was sneaking."

Kagome snorted and turned back to the poster, "What do you want, Uchiha-san?"

He slid his hands into his pockets, prepared for her callous attitude. So apparently she was still angry.

"I merely wished to express how impressive your knowledge on chakra is. But knowledge is only part of the training process."

Kagome sighed, "I know this. Applying said knowledge is another part, and mastering the use of it is the final part."

Sasuke nodded, once again impressed, "Can you apply the knowledge?"

Kagome gave him a bored look, "I can do some basic level techniques. But nothing to complicated." a smile curved her lips, "not yet at least."

She sighed and turned to him fully now, "How about you?"

"What are you talking about?"

She laughed and folded her hands behind her head, "Can you do any techniques?"

Sasuke smiled, hoping she would ask that particular question. Now was the perfect chance to prove to her he wasn't being arrogant.

"I can perform my families signature Katon gyokaukku no jutsu."

Kagome nodded, "That's…nice."

Sasuke gave her a bewildered look. She merely smiled and walked by him, looking up at the other posters.

_Nice? Doesn't she realize what that means?_

He watched her tilt her head to the side and study the next poster. It was the proper holding technique for when throwing shurikan.

Who was this girl?

He shook his head, a confused frown on his face. She was so…different. Every other girl his age fawned over him, asking him stupid questions about the jutsu.

Just. Not. Her.

Shaking his head once more he walked up to her. She smiled over at him and pointed to the poster.

"That stance doesn't cover everything. I mean, sure, it works fine for heavier shurikan, but what if you use ones made from carbon steel?"

Sasuke smiled and looked up at the poster, "It was made a long time ago I think. You would need more of a controlled stance for carbon steel, seeing as they are lighter."

Kagome's smile widened as she nodded enthusiastically, "Exactly!"

The door slid open and both Sasuke and Kagome turned towards it. Sakura walked in and looked between the two of them, a closed bento box in her hands. Her green eyes narrowed at Kagome before she turned to Sasuke and flashed a bright smile.

"Here you are Sasuke-kun. You didn't finish your lunch so I thought I would bring it to you."

Sasuke sighed and nodded, "Just place it on my desk."

Sakura's smile faltered when Sasuke turned back to Kagome and they went back to discussing proper shurikan handling.

Sakura walked over to Sasuke's desk and laid the bento box down. Straightening her spine she forced a smile and walked over to them.

Standing beside Sasuke she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get his attention. Surely he would notice she was much prettier than the other girl. After all, her hair was long and well taken care of while Kagome's was pulled back into a tight braid that made her look slightly like a boy.

When Sasuke ignored her Sakura felt her confidence fall a bit. Forcing those thoughts to the back of her mind she giggled slightly.

"Why are you studying an outdated poster on shurikan throwing, Sasuke-kun?" she smiled when he turned towards her, "your already practically a master at it.'

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Haruno, Higurashi-san and I were discussing the difference of this poster to throwing lighter shurikan."

Sakura's smile faltered. When Kagome smiled at her she felt as if the girl was rubbing salt into a wound. Even if Kagome meant nothing behind it other than a pleasant smile it didn't matter. This girl was holding her Sasuke-kuns attention.

_And as his future girlfriend, I need to make sure no one else catches his attention. _

Sakura huffed and turned away from the talking pair. Storming through the class she paused at the door and turned back towards them. She had expected Sasuke to be looking at her, maybe even coming after her.

When she saw that he wasn't even paying attention she felt tears welling in her eyes. Swiping at them in irritation she slammed the door open and ran out, leaving it open behind her.

Kagome looked down at the open door with a curious look, "What was that all about?"

Sasuke looked over her shoulder at the open door before rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"Your guess is as good as any other, Higurashi-san."

"Kagome."

He raised an eyebrow and looked back at the her. A blush dusted across her pale cheeks and her eyes were down cast.

"What was that?"

A small smile spread across her face as she continued to look at her feet.

"You can call me Kagome, if you like."

Sasuke smiled and turned back to the poster, "If that's what you want, Kagome."

She looked up at him and her smile was soft, "Very much so, Uchiha-san."

He shook his head, "Please, call me Sasuke."

She nodded and slid her hands behind her, "Thank you, Sasuke."

He nodded and they stared up at the poster together.

When the door slid opened once more the comfortable silence that had been sharing in was broken. Kagome smiled and chuckled softly.

"See you after class, Sasuke?"

He nodded and watched as she walked up the steps to the back of the room. She looked down at the still sleeping Naruto before shaking her head and kicking his chair.

He jumped up, "Stay away from my ramen, you monsters!"

Kagome laughed and sat down next to him, "You're such a goof Naruto."

He began to rub the sleep from his eyes, a sheepish smile spreading across his face, "Come on Gome-chan."

She rolled her eyes again and sighed. She glanced over at Sasuke and smiled when their eyes connected. He returned her smile with a small one of his own before making his way to his own seat.

"Hey! What are you smiling at teme?"

Sasuke sighed and sat down, choosing to ignore Naruto.

"Hey! I was talkin to you! Don't ignore m-"

He was cut off when Kagome grabbed him by the back of the shirt and yanked, "Leave Sasuke alone, Naruto. He wasn't doing anything to you."

Naruto gave her a surprised look, "Does it matter what he did? And when did you start calling him Sasuke?"

Kagome rubbed the bridge of her nose, "That's his name, isn't it?"

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but Iruka walked in the room and called the class to order.

That didn't stop him from glancing at his oldest friend as Iruka started a lecture.

What had he missed when he had fallen asleep?

….

Well, theres chapter one! Hope you all enjoyed it!


	2. Silly Kagome

And here's chapter two! I reposted chapter one to fix a few of the mistakes I caught only after I had posted it. If you see anymore errors, feel free to let me know!

Disclaimer - This author only owns her ideas.

Over the next few months Kagome and Sasuke started to become closer. It didn't matter that Naruto hated the idea of sharing her with him. Or the fact that she was glared at by almost every girl in their class. They were friends, and neither Sasuke nor Kagome was willing to trade that friendship for anything.

Today they sat outside, Kagome in between both Sasuke and Naruto. Even though Naruto seemed to hate him, the blonde couldn't deny that Kagome seemed happier with the two of them together than he had seen her since her father had become ill.

Today Naruto had remembered his own lunch, a cup of instant chicken ramen. He slurped the noodles in oblivious bliss while Sasuke opened his home made bento. Kagome leaned back against the tree they sat in front off with her eyes closed, her face relaxed.

"Hey Kagome-chan, you want some of my ramen?"

Kagome cracked an eye open but shook her head. Naruto frowned and looked her over. She was becoming thinner, apparently still sticking to her theory of eating less. How many meals did she cut herself short on, or better yet, had skipped all together?

"You sure?"

She smiled and nodded, her eyes still closed, "I'm not hungry Naruto."

Naruto knew this was a flat out lie. They had trained hard early in the day, Iruka wanting them all to master throwing shurikan. She had worked hard, harder than he had, and he was starving.

"Why is it I never see you with a lunch, Kagome?" Sasuke asked, setting his chop sticks down.

Kagome didn't open her eyes and shrugged, "I never remember to pack one."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He may not have known her for as long as Naruto had, but in the short time he had spent with her, he had picked up on her quirks.

_She's lying, but why?_

He turned fully towards her, his lunch forgotten for the moment, and rested his elbow on his knee. Placing his chin in his palm he gave her a flat look.

"Let me ask again Kagome, and don't lie to me. Why don't you ever have a lunch?"

Naruto could see Kagome stiffen, but he couldn't help but back Sasuke on this. After all, if he wasn't able to make her eat, maybe the Uchiha could?

_He's always so persistent were I just back down. _

"Your loosing weight Kagome-chan. You need to eat more."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and looked her over. True enough her clothing fit a little looser and her face looked a bit thinner.

Had someone called her fat?

He fisted his hand under his chin, "Did someone mention your weight Kagome? Who was it?"

He looked around at the girls in his class. He had known that they didn't like he and Kagome spending so much time together, but if he found out that one of them had called her overweight by any standards…

His fist began to shake. He would make sure that they paid.

Kagome chuckled and sat up before pulling her knees to her chest and resting her cheek atop them.

"No one called me fat Sasuke. I didn't even notice that I had lost weight."

Sasuke relaxed slightly, "Then why don't you eat?"

She closed her eyes and sighed, "Its…no big deal, Sasuke. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

He shook his head and straightened, crossing his arms over his chest he sighed.

"Well, until you tell me what's going on, I wont eat either."

Kagome's eyes snapped open and she gave him a worried expression, "You cant do that Sasuke. You need to keep your strength up."

He shook his head, "And so do you."

Naruto followed Sasuke's lead, "Yea. I wont eat either."

Kagome looked at her two friends, her eyes wide. When tears collected around the edges of her eyes Naruto almost caved. But one stern look from Sasuke made him hold his ground.

This needed to stop.

Kagome buried her face in her knees and let out s silent cry, "I cant eat, ok?"

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, curious about her statement. When she began to cry Naruto's face fell and he wrapped his arms around her.

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with you?"

Naruto shook his head and rocked the crying girl back and forth, "She hasn't been eating since they told her they couldn't help her Tou-san anymore."

Sasuke continued to look at them a lost expression on his face. Then his mind went back to the first time he had met Kagome, when he had asked her about where her parents were.

_Kaa-san is at work and Tou-san is at the hospital._

He had taken it as her Tou-san had worked at the hospital.

He had never thought that something was actually wrong.

"Hey, what the hell is this?"

Sasuke felt his eyebrow began to tick. He looked over his shoulder at the group that stood right behind him, a sneer on their leaders face.

Inuyasha looked down at the crying girl and his eyes softened a bit. The expression was quickly wiped away, but not before Sasuke could catch it.

He did not like it.

Sasuke had heard rumors, though he couldn't put any fact behind them, that Taisho Inuyasha tended to get any girl he wanted. Then once he had them he wasn't the best boyfriend in the world. He would badger them to loose or gain weight to fit his ideal image of them, and wasn't the gentlest person when he didn't get his way.

Even though he couldn't put fact behind it, Sasuke would rather cut his own hand off than let Inuyasha think he ever had a chance to do anything with Kagome.

"None of your business Taisho. Why don't you go back to your lunch and forget what you saw here?" Sasuke spat, glaring.

Inuyasha didn't look at him, his eyes still on the crying girl. He smiled, "Hey. What's got you so down Kagome-chan?"

Sasuke's glare intensified. How dare he use Kagome's name so familiarly?

Kagome sniffled and looked up from her knees, "Nothing Inuyasha-chan. I'm just tired is all."

Sasuke turned back to Kagome, his eyes widening a bit. How did she know Inuyasha so well?

Inuyasha shrugged, but his smile never faltered. "Ok Kagome-chan. Give Tai-san my best wishes, alright?"

She nodded and he turned to leave, but not before flashing a smug smile at Sasuke. When he was gone Sasuke crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Kagome.

"How do you know Taisho?"

She sniffled again and rubbed her eyes, "My Tou-san trained his Aniki. They are friends of my family. Why do you ask?"

Sasuke shook his head and forced himself to relax, "Its nothing. Now, what were you talking about?"

Kagome's face fell a bit, "When my Tou-san went into the hospital we never thought he wouldn't get better. But it seemed that we were taking him back and forth to the hospital so much that things began to get serious. A few months ago the medic's told my Kaa-san that they couldn't do any more for him."

Sasuke's eyes softened and he laid his hand on top of her knee, "What's wrong with him?"

Kagome shook her head, "I don't know for sure. Kaa-san said he was poisoned on his last mission and that by the time they got him back to Konoha the poison had done too much damage. I think that its something else, but no one believes me."

Sasuke nodded and squeezed her knee slightly, "That doesn't explain why you haven't been eating."

She took in a shaky breath, tears running from the corners of her closed eyes once more, "If I don't eat, it leaves more for my family. My Kaa-san is trying her best to make ends meet, but by the time she pays all the bills there's barely enough money left over to put food in the house."

Kagome shook her head and rubbed her eyes, "What I would eat can go to feed my Otouto or my Sofu. Souta is still just a baby, and Sofu isn't getting any younger. They both need it more than I do."

Sasuke shook his head and moved so he could sit right in front of her. They were so close that their knees were brushing.

"That doesn't mean you don't need nutrition to remain healthy. What would happen if you became sick to?"

Kagome shook her head, a small smile pulling at her lips, "I wont get sick. I'm too strong for that."

Sasuke shook his head and laid his hands on her shoulders. This was, truly, the most psychical contact that had had with one another. But where that thought would usually embarrass the young Uchiha, it was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment. Right now his worry for her outweighed anything else.

"How about this?" he stated, a small smile curving his lips, "I'll share my lunch with you from now on."

Kagome shook her head and opened her mouth to protest but he silenced her by pressing his finger to her lips.

"Its either that or I wont eat at all."

Kagome's expression fell slightly, "But Sasuke, you cant-"

Naruto laughed and squeezed her a bit where his arms still wrapped around her waist, "Come on Gome-chan. Don't argue. This way, you both will eat and we wont worry about you so much."

Kagome sighed in defeat. There was no way she could fight them both.

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a look as she nodded. The contention was still there, but for the moment they could put it aside. Both knew that, in order to make sure their friend was ok, they had to work together.

Sasuke nodded and moved back from her in order to pick up his bento box once more. Placing it on the ground in front of Kagome he pulled a spare set of chopsticks from his pocket and handed them to her.

"Come on now. Eat up before lunch is over."

Kagome smiled and moved so she could still sit in Naruto's lap and reach the bento. Sasuke watched with satisfaction as she pulled a clump of rice from with in and brought it to her mouth.

…

The bell rang, causing Iruka to pause in his lecture. Putting down his chalk he snapped his book closed and smiled.

"That's it for today. Have a good evening."

The students began collecting their belongings and made their way towards the door. Sasuke waited in the hall outside for Kagome and Naruto. When they came out he flanked Kagome's right side while Naruto stayed on the left. It was a routine they had developed. They would both walk Kagome home and then part ways, Naruto towards his apartment and Sasuke towards the Uchiha district.

A group of girls walked by them and smiled at Sasuke before glaring at Kagome. She raised an eyebrow and turned to Sasuke.

"Why do they always do that?"

Sasuke, who had been doing his best to ignore them, shrugged, "I don't know.

Kagome hmmed and shrugged, "I'll ask my Kaa-san. Maybe she'll know."

Sasuke shrugged, not caring either way. To him all girls were annoying.

_Well, all girls except Kagome. _

They walked out of the academy together, Naruto boasting that the next day he would surpass Sasuke in shurikan practice. Kagome merely giggled and shook her head while Sasuke ignored him.

When Sasuke stopped walking both Kagome and Naruto paused, giving him a curious look. But his eyes weren't on them. He was staring at an older boy that looked like him.

Kagome tilted her head to the side, "Whose that Sasuke?"

He blinked out of his stupor and a smile curled his lips, "That's my Aniki."

Kagome nodded and a smile curved her face, "Well, are you going to introduce us?"

Sasuke nodded and grabbed her wrist. Pulling her over to wear Itachi stood, she laughed at his enthusiasm.

"Aniki, this is one of my friends, Higurashi Kagome. Kagome, this is my Aniki, Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi nodded to her and she bowed, "A pleasure to meet you, Uchiha-san."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at her politeness, "And you, Higurashi-chan."

Kagome straightened and Itachi turned to Sasuke, "I'm here to walk you home, Otouto."

Sasuke's smile faltered and both Itachi's eyebrows disappeared under his bangs, "Is there a problem, Sasuke?"

He shook his head, but his gaze was settled on the girl next to him. He was used to walking her home. He liked doing it and he liked having the knowledge she made it home ok. Especially today.

The look Inuyasha had given her earlier that day at lunch flashed through his mind and his frown turned into a scowl.

Kagome just smiled at him and laughed, "Go on Sasuke. I'll make it home ok. I've still got Naruto."

Naruto laughed and threw his arm over her shoulder, "yea, I'll make sure Gome-chan makes it home alright. Nothing can defeat me!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes but when Kagome turned back to him and he felt as if his stomach was doing flips. How had he never noticed that her eyes seemed to sparkle when she smiled at him?

Pushing those thoughts away he turned back to Itachi and nodded, "Lets go."

Itachi looked between the two children before shaking his head and turning away. Sasuke turned back to Kagome and a small smile curved his lips.

"See you tomorrow?"

She nodded and turned the opposite direction Itachi had gone, "Bright and early, if I can roll Naruto out of bed early enough that is."

Sasuke rolled his eyes once more and turned towards where Itachi was still walking. He had to jog to catch up to the older Uchiha. Kagome waited until she could barely see them before turning towards Naruto and smiling.

"Lets go. We have some practicing to do."

Naruto groaned and fell into step beside her, ""But Kagome-chan!"

She shook her head, a stern look on her face, "How will you ever get better if you don't practice Naruto?"

He groaned again as they continued to walk.

…

Itachi and Sasuke walked in silence, Sasuke's thoughts on none other than his female friend. Would she make it home ok? Would Inuyasha show up and cause trouble for Naruto? She had said that his family and hers were friends, but that didn't mean that Sasuke trusted him.

"Otouto."

Sasuke snapped out of is thoughts and looked up at Itachi, "Yes, Aniki?"

Itachi glanced down at him, "Why did I see that girl eating from your lunch this afternoon?"

Sasuke felt his face harden. Had Itachi been spying on him all day?

Brushing it off Sasuke slid his hands into his pockets, "She forgot her lunch today."

Itachi hned, "And you felt it was your duty to share yours with her?"

Sasuke shook his head, "It was just one day."

Itachi hned again, "Perhaps you should pack more food?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Itachi shrugged, "She seems to forget her lunch quiet often. If you feel obligated to share with her one day then it is sure to happen next time she forgets it."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed once more, "How do you know she forgets her lunch?"

Itachi glanced down at Sasuke, "I told you I would be stopping in to check on your progress."

Sasuke scowled, "Have you told Tou-san?"

Itachi shook his head, "I didn't see any harm in it."

Sasuke nodded and felt the knot in his chest loosen. The Uchiha district was now in view as the pair fell into silence.

"Uchiha."

Itachi paused and looked up at the trees. A silver haired boy stood up on a branch, leaning against the trunk of the tree. His amber eyes were staring up into the leaves, a bored expression on his face. He was dressed in all white with out a single abnormality on his clothing. His sleeveless shirt showed off a tribal looking tattoo on his upper arm, proving that he was ranked captain of an ANBU team.

"Taisho."

The boy didn't look down, "I was not speaking to you."

Sasuke watched as Itachi's shoulders stiffened, "What is it you want with Sasuke?"

Sesshomaru looked down and his amber eyes clashed with Sasuke's onyx ones.

"I wish to inform him not to get to close to the Higurashi girl."

Sasuke glared, "What's it to you if I get close to Kagome or not?"

Sesshomaru jumped from the branch and stood in front of them, "Her fate was sealed by those of more power than you have, Uchiha. I merely wish to warn you that if you continue to get close to her, you will end up hurt in the end."

"What are you talking about, Taisho?" Itachi stated, curious now.

Sesshomaru looked away from Sasuke and shook his head, "Take the warning or not. This is the last time I will come to you with helpful advice."

With that said he jumped back into the trees and disappeared. Sasuke scowled and crossed his arms.

_First Inuyasha and now Sesshomaru? What do they want with Kagome?_

A hand on his shoulder brought Sasuke from his thoughts. He looked up at Itachi but his Aniki wasn't looking at him.

"Speak with Kaa-san about giving you an extra lunch for the Higurashi girl."

Sasuke nodded and smiled. It was Itachi's way of telling him not to listen to Sesshomaru.

They turned and walked into the Uchiha district with out another word, Sasuke still smiling.

…

The next day at the academy Sasuke stood outside, waiting for Kagome and Naruto to show. In his hand he carried two bento boxes. When he had asked his Kaa-san about extra food he had had no other choice but to explain the situation to her. When she heard what Kagome was doing a serious look had crossed her face and she had said she would take care of it. That morning he had woken up to two bento's on the table and a container of cookies. Apparently his Kaa-san hadn't liked the idea of her starving herself either.

When Kagome and Naruto came into view he noticed right away that something was wrong. Kagome had a serious look on her face and no matter how much Naruto tried he couldn't bring a smile from her. When her eyes connected with Sasuke's he saw tears well in her eyes before she ran past him into the academy.

Sasuke watched her retreating form with a curious look. Turning to Naruto, he wasn't surprised when the blonde just shrugged and followed after Kagome.

Shaking his head Sasuke followed at a much slower pace. What could have happened that his friend was so upset?

Determined to find out, Sasuke began to walk faster towards the class they shared.

Kagome sat in the back, her forehead pressed against the desk. Sasuke set down the boxes on his desk before clearing the steps two at a time.

Ignoring the looks he received from the other students he took the seat next to Kagome and crossed his arms.

"Did I do something wrong, Kagome?"

She shook her head it remained pressed to the desk.

Naruto took the other seat and poked her in the back of the head, "Come on Gome-chan. You've been like this all morning!"

Sasuke watched as she merely shook her head once more, "Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it."

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a look but decided to back off for the moment. Standing Sasuke returned to his seat and fell silent.

When Iruka called the class to attention and lead them outside to begin their shurikan practice Sasuke tried to talk to Kagome. When all she did was increase her pace to walk in front of him he felt like he had swallowed acid.

Why was she mad at him?

Then Sesshomaru's warning rang through his mind and Sasuke scowled.

_Maybe he was right. Maybe they told her not to be friends with me?_

His mood turned from sour to foul. Why would it matter what they said anyway? What kind of power did they have over her that she would blindly listen to what they had to say?

Through out the day Kagome stayed away from Sasuke. He ended up giving the box his mother had packed to Choji, who took it with out a question. Kagome hadn't even come outside, choosing to spend lunch in the class room.

When Naruto came out Sasuke sighed and walked up to him. Though he hated the idea, Naruto knew Kagome better than he did. If he could find out through the dobe what was wrong with her then he could swallow his pride long enough to ask him.

"What's wrong with her?" Sasuke asked, standing beside Naruto as he opened his instant ramen.

Naruto didn't look up and merely shrugged, "She wont talk to me. And I've tried everything. It would be different if she was mad at me, but this is different. Its like someone told her to eat Oden is against the law now or something."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Oden?"

Naruto chuckled, "Yea, Oden. I forget sometimes that you don't hang out with Kagome outside of class. Oden is her favorite food on the planet."

Sasuke nodded and filed that information away. Naruto sighed and looked down at his ramen before pushing it away.

"Dang it. I cant even eat with her so upset." he grumbled, crossing his arms.

Sasuke, for once, agreed with him.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Naruto's ramen still remained untouched as well as Sasuke's bento. They threw away their full lunches and made their way back to the class room were their mutual friend still sat.

As Iruka went through his lecture Sasuke went from being mad to depressed. Kagome was one of the only people he could call friend and to him it felt like he was losing her. His chest tightened uncomfortably at that thought. He didn't want to loose her. But he couldn't do anything if she wouldn't talk to him.

When the bell rang he remained in his seat. People called out to him but he ignored them. His attention was all for the silent girl still sitting in the back of the class.

When it was only he, Naruto, and Kagome left, Sasuke stood and walked to the back of the class. He couldn't take her ignoring him. And if she didn't want to be his friend anymore, he wanted her to say it.

"Look," he stated, crossing his arms across his chest, "if you don't want to my friend anymore than all you had to do was say so."

Kagome's head shot up, her eyes wide, "That's not-"

He cut her off, becoming angry again, "I mean, I know that your family is friends with the Taisho family, but that doesn't mean you can ignore me because they told you to."

Kagome shook her head, "That's not it at all!"

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes still cold, "Oh? Then why did you start to ignore me the day after Taisho Sesshomaru advices me to stay away from you?"

Kagome's eyes widened, "Sesshomaru-sama told you to stay away from me?"

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes locked on her face. He was trying to catch her in a lie, sure that she had to know.

When he saw nothing but pure curiosity his defense fell slightly, "You didn't know?"

Kagome shook her head and a look of irritation crossed her face, "Why would he do that? Its none of their business who my friends are!"

At the anger in her voice Sasuke felt his pulse speed, "Then why have you ignored me all day?"

At his statement Kagome's face fell. Her hands fisted on the desk and he watched as tears fell from her closed eyes.

"Because I thought you weren't going to want to be my friend anymore."

Sasuke was shocked by her statement. Naruto cocked his head to the side and placed his hand over Kagome's.

"Now where would you get that crazy idea, Gome-chan?"

She shook her head, tears still falling from her closed eyes, "Because those girls don't like me."

Sasuke shook his head and switched his weight from one foot to the other.

"Why would that make me not want to be your friend, Kagome?"

She stood up so fast that her chair fell to the floor behind her. Hand fisted at her sides she shook her head, tears falling faster from her eyes.

"Because they like you!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as she began to shake, "Why does that matter?"

Kagome shook her head and covered her face with her hands, "I asked my Kaa-san why they acted like they do and she said it was because they liked you. And then she said that, eventually, you would end up liking one of them!"

Sasuke shook his head and opened his mouth but she cut him off, her shoulders shaking now as she tried to suppress her sobs.

"A-and they don't l-like me! S-so if you start to l-like one of them, y-you wont like me anymore either! I-I don't want to loose you as my friend! S-so I thought if I s-stayed away from you, then i-it would be easier t-to let you g-go later!"

She broke down, not able to suppress her sobs anymore. Sasuke watched her cry and knew he should feel bad about it, but the only thing he could feel was relief. She didn't not want to be his friend. She was afraid he wouldn't want to be hers.

The relief, mixed with the shock of what she had told him, made Sasuke burst into a fit of laughter.

Kagome stopped crying for a moment to look at him.

"Its not funny!"

He shook his head and did something he would never do had it not been for the sudden euphoria that over whelmed him.

He walked up to Kagome and wrapped his arms around her. Pulling her tight to his chest he continued to chuckle. She had stopped crying completely by this point, the shock of his sudden display of affection confusing her.

"You couldn't be more wrong Kagome." Sasuke stated, his laughter making his voice light.

Kagome relaxed a bit and even wrapped her arms around him lightly, "But what if-"

He cut her off by shaking his head, "Its never going to happen. I can never like someone who doesn't like you, Kagome."

He pulled back from her and smiled, "So just put those thoughts out of your mind and don't ever worry about it. I will never not want to be your friend."

A smile broke out across her face at his words and she laid her head against his chest. Squeezing her arms around him she laughed.

"Promise?"

He nodded and laid his head atop hers, "Promise."

They stood like that for a moment and now that Sasuke wasn't worried about her shunning him, he took a moment to realize where he was. The sweet smell of Kagome's hair wrapped around him, causing his pulse to speed slightly. When she sighed her breath caressed his throat, making him close his eyes.

An emotion he was unfamiliar with began to well up in Sasuke and he pulled back from Kagome before he even knew what it was. Forcing himself not to blush he crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling.

"So, now that that's settled. No more crazy thoughts, alright?"

Kagome nodded and smiled, "Alright."

She turned to Naruto and smiled, "I'm sorry Naruto. I didn't mean to ignore you to."

He shrugged and laughed, "Well, don't let it happen again! You had me so worried I couldn't eat my lunch!"

Kagome's eyes widened, "You were so worried about me you didn't want ramen?"

He nodded and she launched herself at him. He yelped when she collided with him. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him fiercely.

"You do care! You really do!"

Naruto chuckled embarrassedly, "Of course I do!"

Kagome laughed and pulled back from him, "Well, that means neither of us have had lunch. I have some money I have been saving. How about I take you to Ichiraku's?"

Naruto's eyes brightened, "And I have a coupon for a free bowl!'

Kagome nodded and stood up before turning to Sasuke, "How about it Sasuke? You want to join us for ramen?"

He swallowed and nodded, the feeling starting to well up again as she smiled at him. Her face tilted to the side and her smile slipped off her face.

"Are you feeling alright Sasuke? You just got really flushed."

He nodded and forced his eyes away from her face, "Lets just go."

Kagome nodded and skipped down the steps of the room. Sasuke felt a small smile curl his lips as he watched her. The fact that she had been so upset about him made him feel warm. He had never seen someone care so much about his friendship before so it was a new experience for him.

"Come on teme, we gotta catch up or she'll leave us here." Naruto laughed, chasing after Kagome.

Sasuke rolled his eyes but followed after the pair at a slower pace. His thoughts ran back to the strange feeling that seemed to rise when he was hugging Kagome. It was another new experience. One he couldn't say he liked or disliked.

Choosing to think more about it later he picked up his pace. Right now he had to catch up with the pair before they got to far ahead of him.


	3. Training with Inuyasha

Ok, and here you guys are! Another chapter. I think I caught all the grammatical errors but it you see any please feel free to let me know!

Disclaimer- Nadda.

Kagome looked over at Naruto, four empty bowls in front of him. She shook her head and looked down at hers and Sasuke's one bowl each before shaking her head harder.

"How in the world do you eat as much as you do?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "His head is empty, so when his stomach gets full the extra food just goes there."

Kagome giggled and Naruto glared, "What did you say teme?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and smiled slightly when Kagome began to laugh harder, "See? His head is so full of ramen right now he can't even hear."

Kagome laughed so hard her sides hurt and Sasuke found himself enjoying the sound.

"So you guys done?"

Kagome straightened and wiped tears from her eyes, "Yes sir. How much do I owe you?"

The shop keeper rattled off the tab and Kagome stuck her hand in her pocket to pull out her money. Before she could even get it out though Sasuke handed the shop keep a few crisp bills.

"You don't need to do that Sasuke. I can pay for it."

He shook his head as the shop keeper handed him back his change, "Not a chance."

Kagome pouted, "But I said I would do it."

He smiled and flicked her in the forehead, "Hush."

Kagome rubbed her forehead and stuck her tongue out at him, "Fine, if you wanna pay for Naruto's ramen, I'll just have to find a way to pay you back."

Sasuke shook his head and followed behind her as she walked away from the ramen stand. Naruto walked slightly behind them rubbing a swollen belly, a look of pure bliss on his face.

"What do you mean pay me back?"

Kagome smiled and folded her hands behind her head, "I have to think of something that will make up for you paying for our late lunch."

Sasuke shook his head, "I don't want you to spend your money Kagome. I thought that was the point behind me paying?"

Kagome smiled and winked at him, "Who says I'm going to spend money?"

He raised an eyebrow and watched as she skipped away, humming a tune he neither knew or cared to know.

Naruto sauntered up beside him and grinned, "She's just like that."

Sasuke crossed his arms across his chest, "I haven't the slightest clue what your talking about."

Naruto rolled his eyes and watched as Kagome continued to skip in front of them, "She won't spend money on anyone, but she will make you something special. Its usually sweets of some kind, but because she knows you don't like sweets, I wonder what it will be?"

Sasuke felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, but quickly slammed it back. He would not let Naruto see that he was pleased with the idea of Kagome making something special just for him.

_Might give the dobe ideas. _

"You two sure are slow!"

Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts to see Kagome all the way down the street. He raised an eyebrow. Hadn't she just been in front of them?

"Another thing you haven't figured out yet." Naruto stated, stretching, "Kagome's one of the fastest ninja to ever go the academy. I heard some of the parents saying that when she got older they wouldn't be surprised if she had mastered the flash step, just like the fourth Hokage."

Sasuke hned, his eyes still on the young girl standing at the end of the street smiling. He watched her for a moment, making sure to slow his pace even more. She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically before taking a step forward and vanishing.

Sasuke paused in his slow stroll and nearly fell over when she reappeared in front of him.

"Come on Sasuke, Naruto. I don't have all night."

Sasuke blinked a few times, his eyes widening a little. He hadn't even seen her move!

"You're still to slow, Gome-chan. I saw your hair flickering."

Kagome cursed and stomped her foot before glaring at Naruto, "One of these days I will master the flash step."

Naruto shrugged, "You keep training like you do I wouldn't be surprised if you had it down before the end of the academy year!"

Kagome blushed at the praise and fell in step between them. Sasuke watched her out the corner of his eye as she smiled and joked with Naruto. He had never seen anyone move so fast in his life. Naruto may have seen her, but he had lost her the moment she had taken off. How could she know such an advanced technique at her age?

They rounded the corner of Kagome's street, Sasuke still lost in thought as the other two joked back and forth with one another.

"There you are Kagome-chan."

Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of the other boys voice. Instantly he was on edge as he watched the silver haired nin stand from Kagome's front door step and walk towards them.

She smiled but didn't move to great him. This made Sasuke feel a little better, even if he couldn't honestly say what he would do if a confrontation broke out between himself and Inuyasha.

"Hello Inuyasha-chan. What are you doing here?"

He smiled and folded his hands behind his head, "I came over to see if you wanted to train. When Kunloon said you hadn't made it home yet, I decided to wait."

Kagome nodded, "We went to Ichiraku's. Have you been here since the academy let out?"

He nodded, "Pretty much. So how about it?"

Kagome turned to her friends and smiled, "I'll see you guys tomorrow, ok?"

Naruto nodded but he, like Sasuke, didn't like the idea of her going off with Inuyasha. When her dark eyes looked up at the glaring Uchiha her smile turned soft.

"Hopefully I'll have your surprise done by tomorrow, Sasuke."

He nodded and looked down at her. His eyes softened a little and an almost smile appeared on his face.

"Be careful, alright?"

Kagome waved his warning away and stepped up to Inuyasha, "Like he could hurt me."

Inuyasha shrugged and they began walking down the street, leaving Naruto and Sasuke standing in front of her home.

"I don't like him." Naruto spat, "Not one bit. He's always so nice to Kagome. But I can guarantee you this much, she'll have bruises come tomorrow."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, his blood turning cold, "Bruises?"

Naruto shook his head, a dark frown on his face, "Every time, I mean every freaking time, they train together she comes home with bruises. The Taisho have their own personal healers, so who knows how bad the injuries are before the healer can get to her? I remember one time she came over to my apartment after one of their little training sessions and her fingers were tapped together, the middle one was broken in three places."

Sasuke's hands tightened into fists at his sides, "And why didn't you tell me this before I just let her go off with him?"

Naruto gave Sasuke a flat look, "And how would you stop her? To her all those instances were just accidents. Nothing more. She thinks Inuyasha is her friend, but I know there is something more to this than he is letting on."

Sasuke forced his hands into his pockets and turned away from Kagome's house. He would not agree with Naruto.

Even if what he was saying made sense.

…

The Hokage stared at the two boys, though one couldn't really call them that. They had seen more than most grown men in Konoha had, shed more blood than many jonin level nin, and they still managed to remain sane while doing it.

But, as he looked at them, all he could see were two tired boys ready for himself and the council of elders to give them their next mission.

"Have you decided, Uchiha?"

Itachi nodded, his eyes holding a hard edge that was only reached when one had been to hell and back. He turned to the elderly man who had spoken, bandages covering half his face, a weathered walking stick at his side.

"Hai, I will do it."

Shimaru Danzo nodded, a smile curling his withered features. Hiruzen shook his head before turning to the other elder in the room.

"What say you, Jirayia? You know how I feel about this."

Jirayia looked grimly at the young Uchiha, "Are you absolutely positive you wish to do this? To destroy everything one knows or cares about is a hard task."

Itachi almost smiled, "I am not destroying anything I care about."

Hiruzen sighed and turned to the other boy, His amber eyes were focused on the wall, an unemotional mask painted across his face.

"And you, Taisho?"

Sesshomaru looked over at the elderly man and for a moment he saw something flash through his eyes he had not seen in very many others. Rage, pure and lethal, burned deep with in his eyes for a moment before he forced it away. "Might I ask a question before I give my answer, Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen nodded and Sesshomaru closed his eyes for a moment, "Why must Tai be the one? Why can I not just rid myself with Akihiro and be done with it?"

Hiruzen folded his hands beneath his chin and looked at the stoic Taisho, "Are you saying you could take your Otousan with no remorse?"

Sesshomaru actually smiled, the expression cruel, "Remorse? I would take pleasure in it."

Danzo shook his head, "Akihiro is a major role in Konoha. No, Higurashi Tai must go. He is threatening to start an uprising as soon as he gets out of the hospital." he looked at Sesshomaru, his dark eyes cold, "he must not leave the hospital."

Sesshomaru nodded and straightened his spine, "Hai, it shall be done."

Hiruzen shook his head once more, "You boys do realize once you do this, you will be prosecuted as murders?"

They both nodded, "Thus the reason I do not plan on staying."

Sesshomaru didn't look at Itachi as he agreed with a silent nod.

The Hokage turned to the other elders and they both nodded. With another sigh Hiruzen turned back to them.

"When?"

"You will know when I decide the time." Sesshomaru stated before turning towards the window he had come through originally.

Itachi nodded and followed the silver haired nin out.

Once they were far enough away Itachi turned to Sesshomaru to see that his face was turned up to the night sky, his eyes closed.

"Why?"

Sesshomaru cracked open an eye and looked at the other man, "Why what, Uchiha?"

Itachi sighed and began to walk, "Why can you so easily go along with killing another man? I have my reasons for doing this, reasons you know with out me having to state them. Why are you?"

Sesshomaru leveled his cold amber eyes on Itachi, "Why are you so talkative tonight Uchiha?"

Itachi shrugged, "I realize that we both have similar fates. What is there to hide, for the moment at least?"

Sesshomaru let his statement roll around his mind for a moment before nodding, "Do you recall the warning I gave your Otouto-san?"

Itachi nodded and Sesshomaru turned his gaze back to the star light sky, "I do this for her."

Itachi shook his head, "How did you come about that reasoning? You are taking away her Otousan." he looked over at Sesshomaru and stopped walking, "It sounds as if you are trying to hurt her, more than help her."

Sesshomaru growled, the sound coming out demonic, "Do not think to lecture me, Uchiha. There are things you do not understand."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the other ANBU captain, "Then correct me of my lack of knowledge."

Sesshomaru ran his fingers through his hair, "There are things that you must understand first. One of them is how I view Kagome."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Explain."

Sesshomaru walked over to the nearest building and leaned against it, casting himself in half shadow.

"When I was assigned to a team back when I had graduated the academy, Tai was my sensei. Kagome was a toddler, merely five when I met her the first time. I had written her off as just another weak woman, the way my father had raised me to."

Sesshomaru's eyes closed, a wry smile curling his face, "That was before I saw her training. At the age of five she understood chakra control enough to utilize it to her benefit. The first time I saw this was when she ran up a cherry tree to extract the ripe fruit from the top. When she moved it was so fast I had to continually focus on her or I would loose her amongst the branches of the trees."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Why is someone with such skill still at the academy?"

Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose, "Kagome has speed and mind blowing chakra control, but what she has yet to achieve is the simplest of taijutsu's. she is not strong enough to perform the more advanced level techniques, but it seems as if even throwing shurikan gives her trouble."

Itachi nodded, "One weakness amongst many strong abilities can still get you killed."

Sesshomaru nodded before continuing with his explanation, "My Tou-san tried to teach me the way he was taught. That women were creatures that needed to be ruled, dictated to, and punished when they did not follow your word. But once I met Kagome I realized that he was wrong. Tai helped to teach me differently as well. And as he was training myself and my team, I became close to Kagome. To me, she is my Imouto. She means more to me than Inuyasha ever has or could."

A pained look crossed Sesshomaru's face, "Too know that no matter what I do, no matter who I dispose of, that she will never have the chance to be what she wishes, is the hardest thing I will ever have to do."

Itachi crossed his arms and gave him a curious look, "What does that mean?"

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and Itachi could see the rage burning there once more, "No matter what happens, Akihiro will sink his claws into her and drag her into his twisted scheme."

Sesshomaru watched a look of confusion cross Itachi's face and he sighed, "Weather or not Tai dies, Akihiro wants Kagome. He believes he can breed her speed and her families healing abilities into the Taisho blood line. Tai refused to allow his daughter to marry into our family, that was until he became sick. Akihiro has given him false promises that if something were to happen to him, that Kagome would be cared for. All Tai would need to do would be to agree to give her to Inuyasha to be his wife."

A light bloomed within Itachi's eyes as he finally understood. The only reason he would go through with what the elders wanted him to was to ensure Sasuke had a chance. That he would not become like himself, a tool.

Sesshomaru, unfortunately, could not give Kagome the same.

Itachi did something neither expected. He walked forward and clasped Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"I say fuck the elders. Kill Akihiro."

A smile curved Sesshomaru's lips, but it was neither kind nor forgiving, "You and I think along the same page, Uchiha."

Itachi nodded and released his shoulder. They stood in silence for a long moment before Sesshomaru straightened.

"I shall assist you in your mission, Uchiha. If only because I will need to release some steam after I am through."

Itachi nodded and Sesshomaru jumped from his spot to the roof above before disappearing into the night.

…

When Sesshomaru arrived at his home he was surprised to see his own bedroom lamp was on. Cautious he slid open the window and entered the room, startling the young girl that stood over his bed.

"Why are you in my bedroom, Taijya?"

She bowed low to Sesshomaru, "Forgive me Sesshomaru-sama. I didn't know where else to take her that she would be safe."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and looked down at his bed. There, laying on her back in the center of his over sized bed, was a small girl. The blanket was pulled down to her waist and she wore no shirt, but he was unable to see flesh. From below her armpits to her hips thick white gauze wrapped around her slight form, making the elder boy widen his eyes.

"What happened?"'

The girl looked back at Kagome and Sesshomaru watched hate well with in her eyes. Not for the girl, but for the one that had hurt her so badly.

"I was not called until afterwards. Her and Inuyasha had a training session today. Apparently they were sparring and he became angry with her ability to move faster than he. He set a trap for her that was beyond something someone her age could with stand. He broke three of her ribs and sliced her back open. I was able to heal the broken bones and to close the wound, but she is still in a great deal of pain."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and nodded, "Thank you, Sango."

Sango nodded and bowed once more before turning towards the door. As she was walking out, she turned and gave Sesshomaru a hard look over her shoulder.

"He had no right to hurt her so badly. She is just a little girl."

Sesshomaru nodded, "Do not speak with him, Taijya. Leave here and speak nothing of what you saw or what happened." a cruel smile curled his face, "I will handle Inuyasha."

Sango nodded and exited the room, sliding the door shut softly behind her.

Now alone with the young girl Sesshomaru sat on the edge of the bed. She stirred slightly and he smiled, a rare true smile, when she opened her dark eyes and looked up at him.

"Hello Kagome-chan. Have a good nap?"

She shook her head and tried to sit up. A pained noise escaped her and Sesshomaru was quick to assist her in leaning against his head board.

"It hurts, Sesshomaru-sama."

He nodded, his eyes going hard, "I know Kagome-chan. What happened?"

She sighed and leaned heavily against the head board, "We were training. I teased Inuyasha, saying he couldn't catch me. He threw a shurikan at me and I thought I could dodge it. I would of if it hadn't been for the trap he laid."

Sesshomaru nodded and smoothed her hair back from her forehead, "go on."

She closed her eyes, "I triggered the trap and the ground gave way beneath me. As I was falling the shurikan caught me in the back, but I was able to avoid it impaling me. It just sliced through my shirt and cut my back a little. But I still fell into the trap and when I landed I couldn't breath."

Sesshomaru nodded, "Its alright Kagome-chan. Would you like me to take you home?"

She nodded and he stood up. He wrapped his bed sheet around her and picked her up, sheet in all.

Her arms encircled his neck as he made his way out the window.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Hm."

Kagome yawned and laid her head against his shoulder, "Why did you tell Sasuke to stay away from me?"

Sesshomaru shook his head, "Because Kagome-chan. Now go to sleep."

She nodded and snuggled her head into the bend of neck, "Sesshomaru-sama?"

"I said sleep."

She nodded and he knew she was close to passing out once more, "I love you, Sesshomaru-sama."

He froze, he slight whisper catching him off guard. He looked down at the younger girl now sleeping in his arms and felt his heart clench.

"And I love you, Kagome-chan."

He repositioned her so that she was more comfortable before continuing his trek to her home.

…

Inuyasha was laying in the lounge when Sesshomaru returned. He used the front door this time, being sure that every one knew he was home.

His eyes connected with the back of Inuyasha's head and hardened.

"Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked up just in time to see his half brothers hand come down and grab him about the throat.

Startled he began to claw at Sesshomaru's hand as he was lifted from his seat and slammed into the wall.

"How dare you lay a finger on her." Sesshomaru growled.

Inuyasha's eye widened as he felt the skin around his throat start to burn. It was no secret that Sesshomaru had inherited his mothers deadly jutsu. He could call a corrosive poison to his hands, and when paired with a simple transforming jutsu, the poison would leak through razor tipped claws into his victim.

Inuyasha felt his head grow light, sure he was about to die.

"Release you Otouto, Sesshomaru."

The cold command was followed, but not quickly. As he released Inuyasha Sesshomaru made sure to drag his elongated nails across his throat, satisfied when blood welled there and began to paint his pale flesh crimson.

Inuyasha gasped, his hand going to his throat, the flesh burning like someone had taken molten lead and injected him with it.

"You mother fucker!" Inuyasha cursed, his voice raspy.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, "Such foul language."

"Enough!"

They both froze and turned to the man standing in the door way. He looked at both his sons, a cold look of indifference on his face.

"Why did you attack Inuyasha?"

Sesshomaru's eyes went cold, "Why did you allow him to harm the girl so badly?"

Akihiro raised an eyebrow, "I was under the assumption that she was healed."

Sesshomaru felt his hand ball to a fist, even as he forced his outward appearance to remain neutral.

"She is but a child, Tou-san. He could have very well killed her."

Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru, "I would not have killed her. She should have known the trap was there." a smile curved his face, "Perhaps that will teach her to not be so mouthy?"

Sesshomaru bit his tongue so hard he could taste blood. The pain brought him back into a proper mind set where it was still illegal to kill Inuyasha.

For now.

"Inuyasha, Sesshomaru is right."

They both turned to Akihiro to see him smiling, "She is but a child. You must wait to teach her such lessons until she is older and will not break so easily."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, unsure if he would be able to hide his emotions effectively.

Inuyasha stood, albeit a little shakily, and glared at Akihiro, "She is mine. I will teach her any way I please."

Sesshomaru snapped and grabbed Inuyasha once more. Pinning his arm behind his back he thrust the younger boy into the floor, hard.

"Not yet she is not."

_And if I can stop it she will never be. _

"Why are you so protective of her, Sesshomaru?" Akihiro growled, glaring at the place his two sons lay.

Sesshomaru did not release Inuyasha, being sure to put all that much pressure on his back, "I can assure you I do not know what you are talking about."

Akihiro chuckled darkly, "Oh? Then do you go around protecting every little girl?"

Sesshomaru glared at the back of Inuyasha's head as his fathers words ran through his mind. He could not let them see that he cared for Kagome as deeply as he did. It would end badly for her and he knew it.

"She is merely a child. Your son needs to learn this."

With that said he released Inuyasha and stood. Inuyasha straightened and rubbed the back of his head, a bruise appearing just above his eye where Sesshomaru had slammed him to the floor.

"I don't care if she is just a child! Its better I teach her now than later when she will be even more resilient!"

Sesshomaru didn't not answer his callous comment and chose to walk out of the room.

_I will never allow you to hurt her, Inuyasha. _His thoughts growled, _I'll kill you first. _

…

The next morning at the academy Sasuke twitched nervously in his seat. His dark eyes focused on the door as he waited for the familiar face of his female friend.

But as the room began to fill she didn't show.

When Naruto came stumbling through the door Sasuke nearly jumped out of his seat, sure that she had come with him. She was always with him in the mornings, having made it her personal mission to make sure he made it to the academy on time.

When Naruto just stood at the door and looked around the class room, a frown forming on his face, Sasuke felt his stomach drop.

Kagome was not with him.

Naruto shook his head and slowly made his way to his seat. Sasuke almost stopped and asked him where Kagome was, but decided not to. He watched Naruto take his seat and place his head on his desk.

"Where's you _friend _Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned to the girl who had spoken to him. Her green eyes sparkled as she leaned against his desk. Flipping her long pink hair over her shoulder, she smiled down at him.

Sasuke gave her a bored look, "Do you mean Kagome?"

Her smile faltered for a moment before she forced it back, leaning a little more against his desk, "Yes. Her."

Sasuke sighed and leaned back in his seat, feigning boredom "I haven't the slightest idea."

Sakura smiled, "Well, that's too bad. One would think she wouldn't be absent, considering our final exam is coming up." she shook her head, "Maybe she over slept? Or just decided that training is beneath her?"

Sasuke caught on to what she was trying to do before she had even finished her statement. She was trying to make Kagome look bad in his eyes and, in retrospect, make herself look better. Kagome was just being lazy while she had shown up for class. Kagome thought training was beneath her but not Sakura. Sakura had shown up for training to make herself better.

Sasuke frowned, "Or perhaps she is sick Haruno?"

Sakura's smile faltered once more, "Perhaps."

Sasuke turned away from her and missed the scowl that formed on her face. It seemed like no matter what she tried she couldn't seem to make Sasuke notice her.

_But with Kagome absent he will have no other choice but to see my skills. _A smile curled her face as Sakura walked back to her seat, _and then he will notice my skill far surpasses Kagome's and he won't want to hang around her anymore. She'll look weak and Sasuke-kun will finally notice me!_

Resisting the urge to pump her fist in the air she walked back over to her seat. Today she would make Sasuke notice her. Today would be the start of their relationship. And before long he would ask her to be his girlfriend and forget all about Higurashi Kagome.

Oh yes, her plan was perfect.

The only thing that would stop it from being possible is if Kagome actually showed up.

When Iruka came into the room and began to call role Kagome had yet to show. Sakura kept her fingers crossed, hoping that it wasn't a repeat of their first day. When Iruka finished role call and Kagome still hadn't showed up Sakura was damn near hopping up and down in her seat.

"Alright class, today we are going to be starting the final lesson for this year. You will be learning to throw your shurikan and kunai at moving targets. This lesson will last until fall break begins at the end of this month. Am I clear?"

When no one objected he smiled and walked to the opposite door in the room. He opened it, motioning for the students to file outside into the training field.

Sakura jumped from her seat and ran out the door, excited to start. She was certain once Sasuke saw her eagerness he would want to practice with her.

When she turned to see if he had followed her out her confidence faltered. Sasuke hadn't even made it out the door yet, and most of the class was already outside. Curious as to why she walked back to the door and peered inside the almost empty class room.

Sasuke stood beside his desk, staring at the door as if he expected someone to walk through it at any minute. Naruto was still at his seat as well, his eyes also focused on the door.

Sakura huffed and glared at the door a moment before turning to Sasuke and smiling.

"Are you coming Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke snapped out of his stupor and half turned to her. Sakura held her breath when his eyes connected with hers.

When all he did was sigh and slide his hands into his pockets she nearly screamed. This was not the way things were supposed to play out today!

Reassuring herself Sakura smiled and turned back to the training field were Iruka was handing out packs of shurikan and kunai.

_All in good time Sakura, _she inwardly coached herself, _he'll see how skilled you are and come crawling to you. _

Feeling better already Sakura walked up and took a pack from Iruka.

…

Sasuke was annoyed, anyone could see that.

Naruto watched as Sakura once again inched closer to him, nearly impeding on his personal space. When she whispered something to him Naruto watched Sasuke's shoulders stiffen slightly before the Uchiha forced himself to relax. He felt bad for Sasuke. Sakura just didn't seem to get the hint that he was uninterested.

So, to try to make things better, Naruto smiled and called out to her.

"Hey! Sakura-chan!"

Sakura stiffened and looked over at him, "What is it Naruto?"

Naruto continued to smile, "You are looking really pretty today! Did you do something new with you hair?"

Sakura grinned and flipped her hair over her shoulder, "I am trying a new shampoo. What do you think Sasuke-kun? Does my hair look better today?"

Sasuke didn't look at her as he threw his kunai at one of the slow moving targets, "Hn."

Naruto sighed and refocused his attention on the targets they were supposed to be practicing on.

_Well, so much for trying. _

Class crawled by for both Sasuke and Naruto. They shared the same thought as they watched the clock tick down the seconds left in the day.

To get out of the academy and to go find their friend.

Sakura had, unfortunately, stayed nearly glued to Sasuke's side all day. Even when he was plainly annoyed with her, she refused to take a hint and leave him alone. When the bell signaling the end of the day rang, Sasuke bolted from his seat in attempt to escape her.

Unfortunately he hadn't moved fast enough.

"Sasuke-kun!"

He cringed as she said his name with such familiarity. Sighing he turned and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"What is it Haruno?"

Sakura smiled, "Please, call me Sakura."

"Is that all you want Haruno? I need to be somewhere."

Sakura frowned at the way he refused to use her name. Sighing she forced herself to smile, "I was wondering if you could possibly help me with something."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "What's that?"

Sakura beamed, "Well, I'm having trouble with my kunai throwing. I can throw my shurikan all day long but the kunai are heavier."

Sasuke nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Adjust your stance to compensate for the weight."

She nodded enthusiastically, "Can you show me?"

Sasuke leveled her with a bored look, "Have Iruka show you tomorrow. I have to go."

With that he turned and bolted away from the school leaving Sakura standing there alone.

"Give it up billboard brow."

Sakura frowned as Ino walked out of the academy, "What was that pig?"

Ino chuckled, "I said give it up. All your doing is making yourself look pathetic."

Sakura scowled, "Your just jealous that Sasuke is paying attention to me."

Ino snorted, "Yea. Only because Higurashi was absent. And if what I saw was correct he wasn't even paying attention to you. Actually," she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "he looked more annoyed than anything."

Sakura scowled harder, "He was not annoyed."

Ino shrugged and walked by the fuming girl, "Suit yourself."

Sakura glared at the back of Ino's blonde head as she walked away.

_I will have Sasuke, one way or another. And then you will be crying your eyes out in jealousy, Ino pig! _

…

Sasuke flew through the city, barely taking time to rest in between roof hopping. Naruto's statement kept running through his mind about Inuyasha always leaving bruises on Kagome.

Was she hurt? And if she was, was it bad?

His stomach churned uncomfortably and he forced his legs to move faster.

When he arrived at the Higurashi house he stopped in front of the door. Taking a moment to compose himself he took a deep breath and knocked.

A shuffling noise came from the other side and Sasuke felt his pulse speed up. When the door opened to reveal an elderly man Sasuke forced himself to remain calm. Bowing slightly he addressed the man who he assumed to be Kagome's Sofu with the calmest voice he could muster.

"Good afternoon Higurashi-san. I am Uchiha Sasuke, a friend of Kagome's from the academy."

The elderly man nodded, "I know who you are Uchiha-chan. Come in. Kagome is out in the back with that Uzumaki boy."

Sasuke straightened and walked in the door wondering how Naruto had beat him there. A slight frown creased his features as he followed Kagome's grandfather through the house.

When he slid open the back door Sasuke had to restrain himself from running out. Turning he bowed to the elderly man and silently thanked him before stepping into the back yard.

Kagome and Naruto sat under a giant tree, a ring of sutra's tied around its trunk. She was dressed in a plain white yukata, her hair falling loose down her back. A slight breeze swept by her, catching a few strands of onyx to twirl around her pale face. Her eyes were half lidded, giving her a sleepy look even while she smiled at Naruto.

They both looked over when the door slid closed behind Sasuke. Kagome smiled at him and waved slightly.

"How did I know you wouldn't be far behind Naruto?"

Sasuke allowed a small smile to form on his face as he walked towards them.

"I didn't follow that dobe. It just seems as if we were both thinking the same thing."

Kagome shook her head and continued to smile, "Well, your both here now."

Sasuke nodded and sat down beside her. She turned so that she could easily see both of them and leaned back against the giant tree.

"How was class?"

Naruto shrugged, "Nothing special. We started on moving targets today. And you should have seen Sakura! She was all over Sasuke! Every time I turned around she was so close to him I was surprised she didn't get hit!"

Kagome closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tree as Naruto continued to ramble on about the day. Sasuke studied her, his sharp eyes noticing the way her face slightly contorted with every breath she took. It was like she was concentrating on trying to even her breathing and it hurt her to do so.

"Kagome," he stated, interrupting Naruto, "Are you alright?"

She opened her eyes and he could see even as she tried to hide it that she was in pain. Even when she smiled and nodded the affirmative he knew something was wrong.

"Are you hurt?"

Her eyes widened and her smile faltered but she was able to catch herself quickly. Schooling her face back to a smile she shook her head.

"What would give you that idea, Sasuke?"

He leaned in closer to her, being sure to keep eye contact, "I can see it."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a disapproving look, "And besides that there has to be a good reason you didn't come to the academy today."

Kagome closed her eyes, "How do you know I just wasn't feeling well?"

Naruto snorted, "Because I know your Okaasan. She would have never allowed gramps to let me or the teme in if you had been ill."

Kagome sighed and folded her hands in her lap, "I'm fine now. Just a little sore."

Sasuke stiffened but his outward expression didn't change, "What are you sore from?"

Kagome began to play with the fabric of her yukata, "If I tell you, you gotta promise you won't do anything."

Sasuke folded his hands beneath his chin, "What happened?"

Kagome shook her head and opened her eyes, "Promise me, Sasuke."

He closed his eyes, afraid of showing her just how hard that promise was for him to make.

A foul taste coated the back of his tongue as he nodded, "I promise."

She nodded and turned to Naruto who was having the same inner battle as Sasuke. If someone had hurt her his first reaction would be to find them. Kagome was his best friend. She had stayed by his side even when most children shied away from him. No one had the right to hurt her.

But he forced himself to nod and she smiled before laying her hands on each of their knees, "Thank you."

Sasuke nodded and relaxed slightly with her touch, "Now tell us what happened."

Kagome took a deep breath and look of pain flashed over her face. Naruto laid his hand over hers, a concern coating his features.

"Take your time Kagome-chan. We're not going anywhere."

Kagome nodded and waited for the sharp pain to subside before beginning, "When I was training with Inuyasha yesterday I was teasing him about how slow he was."

Naruto nodded, already knowing where her story was going before she even continued. Inuyasha hated to be teased by anyone. He especially hated it when someone showed skill above his own. And Kagome was notorious for doing both at the same time.

"He laid a trap and I got caught in it. I'm alright now, just some bruising around the rib cage."

Sasuke forced himself to remain calm, "How badly were you hurt?"

Kagome shrugged and the action seemed to cause her pain, "All I remember before I passed out was it being hard to breath. Sango-chan healed me well enough that it only hurts to take deep breaths now."

Sasuke took the information in and ran it through a list of things that could have happened.

_He must have broken a few ribs. In the process they may have scraped or even pierced one or both of her lungs. _

As he came to that conclusion Sasuke forced himself to remain seated. Rage ran hot through him, causing his blood to boil. What right did Inuyasha have to injure her so badly? What right did he have to even think he could touch her in any shape or form?

He fought to keep a tight leash around his building anger. Kagome had been wise to make him promise not to do anything. If she had not he would be going after a certain silver haired shinobi. Sasuke opened his eyes and looked over at Naruto to see him waging the same war with himself. Even as Sasuke watched the blondes pupils seemed to shrink to mere slits, his eyes becoming darker.

"Look, I'm alright now. Kaa-san said I would be able to go back to the academy tomorrow. She only wanted me to stay home today because she had to work and couldn't heal the bruises before hand."

Sasuke nodded and watched as she smiled at the both of them, "So cheer up guys!"

Naruto forced himself to smile, albeit ruthful, "Do you still think this is an accident, Kagome?"

She gave him a curious look, her smile slipping slightly, "Of course I do Naruto. What else would it be?"

Naruto shook his head and met Sasuke's gaze. They shared a same thought but both refused to say it aloud.

_Damage like that is not cause by a mere accident. _

Sasuke averted his gaze to the now silent Kagome. She was once again leaning against the tree with her eyes closed.

He shook his head and moved to lean against the tree. Gently as he could he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and the other under her calves. Lifting her up she squeaked and opened her eyes. Sasuke didn't even struggle with her weight which was surprising for him. She was much lighter than he thought she would be.

Sliding her over so that she could sit in his lap he rested his hands around her middle. Naruto, seeing what Sasuke was doing crawled over and laid his head in Kagome's lap.

Sasuke pressed her head beneath his chin and closed his eyes as she relaxed against him.

_I will never allow anyone to ever you hurt again, Kagome. _He thought, taking in the sweet smell of her hair, _that much I promise_


	4. I'll always be there

The nurse walked in, announcing that visiting hours were over.

Tai sighed and watched his wife, the mother of his two children, stood from his bed side and kissed his forehead affectionately.

"I love you."

He smiled, gripping her hand were it laid on top of his blanket, "And I you, my angel."

She smiled, though the notion was not one of joy. Tears welled in her eyes as she turned and swiftly walked out of the room.

Tai laid alone, listening to the sound of the hospital machinery. A cool breeze darted in through the window to play against his face. He closed his eyes and took in the scent.

_It's going to rain. _

Tai did not hear him come in, but his chakra signature was unmistakable. A wry smile coiled his face as his pupil walked up to the bed.

"Visiting hours are over, Sesshomaru."

He eyes split open slightly, "But you did not come here to visit an old dying sensei, did you?"

Sesshomaru stood by his bed side, his face forced into a detached mask.

"Always so perceptive, sensei."

Tai chuckled, "I take it the elders have become tired of my feeble cling to life?"

Sesshomaru did not move, his expression remained unchanging. Tai sighed and sat up shakily in his bed.

"It is to be tonight then?"

Sesshomaru dug through his pocket and brought forth a small glass cylinder. Contained with in was an acidic looking concoction, its murky depths holding Tai's fate.

He held the container out to his former sensei, "If you drink this there will be no pain. It will send you into a coma like state, killing your central nervous system first. You will feel nothing as it nullifies your major organs."

Tai nodded and held his hand out to Sesshomaru. The ANBU captain looked at his palm and felt regret pool in his stomach. But Tai had long since accepted his fate.

He pressed the concoction into his palm.

His job not yet done Sesshomaru took a seat on the window sill.

"Let me guess," Tai stated, holding the poison up to the light, "you can not leave until I have taken this and you have seen I have slipped into your coma?"

Sesshomaru nodded once and Tai sighed before laying the venom in his lap, "Then you have a few moments."

Sesshomaru felt his eyes soften, "Hai. But not long."

Tai nodded grimly, "What I have to say will not take long."

Sesshomaru watched as he tried to compose his thoughts, "I have not told Kagome of Akihiro's plans. Kunloon knows, but she is like me. I wish my daughter to have the same choice I had. To fall in love, raise a family. Not to be forced into it."

Sesshomaru stared out the window, unable to show Tai what he truly felt.

"But it has been done. I included something in the agreement though. Something your Otousan doesn't know about."

Sesshomaru turned back to him, one delicate brow raised in curiosity. Tai chuckled softly, "It is something that will help my little girl to take care of herself if something were to happen."

Sesshomaru nodded but didn't ask him to elaborate.

Tai turned to his side table and pulled a manila envelope from its surface.

"This is my will. In it is everything Akihiro wanted. But the only way he will get what he wants is if he stays to his part of our bargain."

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow, "What bargain is that?"

Tai smiled, albeit forced, and fingered the envelope, "There is no possible way Kunloon will be able to pay the hospital bills, and the Hokage cannot wipe them clean. Akihiro has sworn to pay them in full and to make sure my daughter receives the training she will need."

Sesshomaru's frown deepened, "And the only thing he wants in return is for your daughter to be honor bound to marry Inuyasha?"

Tai nodded. It was more of a statement than a question.

"You were always so perceptive Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru nodded and straightened, his gaze focusing on the outside of the window, "You must take that, Tai-sensei."

Tai nodded and uncorked the bottle. He brought to below his nose and inhaled, taking in the scent that was to be his death.

Chuckling dryly he turned to Sesshomaru, "Is this supposed to smell good?"

A wry smile crossed Sesshomaru's face as he turned to watch his sensei drink the green toxin.

The effects were nearly instantaneous, something Sesshomaru liked but hated to see. Tai leaned back on his bed and relaxed, a tired look crossing his face.

"Sesshomaru?"

The young ANBU captain walked to his dying sensei's bedside, "Hai, Tai-sensei?"

"Take care of Kagome."

Sesshomaru watched as his sensei sighed and slipped into a deep sleep. Soon the machines beside his bed began to flare to life, but Sesshomaru paid no attention to them. He watched as a look of peace flowed across his face before standing and moving back to the window.

_I will do all I can for her, Tai-sensei._

He did not turn back as the machines echoed out a sharp call. His sensei had flat lined, his body not able to fight off the toxin. He knew he had only a short window of time before ANBU came after him.

Closing his eyes he jumped from the window just as the sky opened and began to soak the earth.

…

Kagome watched out her window, dark eyes wide as the rain began to pelt the earth. Something had her awake well after her household had gone quiet. The feeling twisted her gut, making her usually comfortable sheets unbearable and the thought of sleep non existent.

So she waited.

The feeling in her gut tightened to an almost painful knot. Unable to sit still any longer she stood and began to pace about the room. Something in the back of her mind kept whispering to her, though the muted words could not be discerned.

The only thing she could decipher was one word, a name.

_Sasuke. _

It was impossible. Nothing was wrong with Sasuke. She had personally seen him earlier that day. Granted she wasn't able to go with him when he left her home, but she had still seen him.

_And he was fine!_

The feeling twisted harder, almost to the point she thought she would be sick. The only time she had ever remembered having such a strong feeling was just before her Tou-san had come home hurt.

Shaking her head she came to a conclusion. The feeling wouldn't recede until she saw her young friend and knew for certain he was alright.

Stripping from her sleeping yukata she dressed quickly before throwing a black hooded cloak over her petite form.

Turning back to her bed she grabbed her pillows and shoved them beneath the sheets giving it the illusion that she was sleeping with in.

Deciding her handy work would work well enough she turned to her window. Opening the glass slowly she took a moment to asses the outside. The rain was coming down harder now, giving the village a dreary and foreboding look. Lighting cracked the sky above her, causing her to jump slightly. Swallowing past her racing heartbeat she hopped from her window into the torrential down pour.

_Just ten minutes, _she thought, beginning to run through the streets, _ten minutes and then I'll be back in my room. I just have to make sure he's ok. _

Her speed increased making her a mere blur amongst the streets, her thoughts becoming a mantra as she moved.

The Uchiha district came into her view and she felt a small smile curl her face. She was soaking wet despite her short time in the rain. The gates were open, which was surprising for the young Higurashi seeing as what time it was.

_Don't they close them after sun down?_

The somewhat loosened knot in her stomach tightened once again.

Something was _wrong._

She ran through the gates and came to a skidding stop, mud flying up around her. Tearing her hood from around her head she looked out at the quiet district with widening eyes.

People lay strewn about, dark fluid leaking from various wounds about their bodies. She dropped to her knees and felt what she hoped was water seep into her clothing. But water was not this thick, nor was it lukewarm.

A scream built from behind her lips but she couldn't release it. It was like her entire being was shutting down in sight of the carnage laid out before her.

Her mind seemed to work in over drive at the moment, trying to block out what she was seeing. It reminded her of her original destination. The reason she had forced herself out in to the rain.

Coming quickly to her feet she didn't care that her hood was still down. It didn't matter if anyone saw her anyway. She had to get there, had to make sure he was alright.

The Uchiha main house was eerily quiet. She ran through the house, her steps leaving a muddy trail behind her. She slipped and skidded across the hard wood floor, coming into the sitting room.

Her eyes widened a fraction more and instinct took over. It may have been a stupid move, considering Itachi held a katana and she was unarmed, but it was the only thing she could think to do.

She skid to a stop beside Sasuke who was laying face down, his eyes closed. Kagome glared at Itachi and took a protective stance before Sasuke.

"What did you do?" she cried, her blue eyes going hard.

Itachi simply raised an eyebrow, his katana covered in a dark substance. He did not move towards her as she glared back at him, tears welling in her dark eyes.

"What did you do to Sasuke?" She cried, her voice a bit frantic.

Itachi glanced down at his Otouto who still lay unconscious behind her, "Nothing."

"Kagome."

Her eyes widened a bit at the familiar voice. Kneeling in the window was the person she idolized, someone who she never thought would hurt her. His silver hair was pulled behind him in a low pony tail and his amber shining dangerously. His nails were elongated and cloaked in a dark substance she hoped was mud.

He looked from her to Itachi, "Its is done?"

Itachi nodded and sheathed his still soiled katana, "And yours?"

Sesshomaru nodded, "We have three minutes before the ANBU sentries change shift."

Itachi nodded and turned back to his still unconscious Otouto, his female friend still standing above him. Her wide eyes kept flashing back and forth between Sesshomaru and himself, tears running down her face.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

Itachi turned back to the other boy and saw a emotion flicker behind his amber eyes. He walked forward, his clothing dripping water across the floor. Itachi said nothing as he knelt down in front of the girl.

"Be safe Kagome."

He ran a still clawed hand across her cheek, leaving dark lines across her pale flesh. He stood and smiled, though there was no warmth with in.

"I am sorry I could not do more for you, little one."

He turned away and with out another word he and Itachi left through the window. Kagome stood still for a moment, her eyes unfocussed. Suddenly her knees went weak and she toppled, closing her eyes tight. As if she could hide from the horrors she had seen that night.

Another scream built with in her, but this time her body wasn't fighting against her. It tore from her lips and pierced through the air as she tightened her shuttered eyelids and covered her ears.

That was were the ANBU found her.

…

Cold.

That was the first the Uchiha Sasuke felt.

Cold.

A small sound began to pierce through the fog that surrounded his mind and for a moment he panicked.

_Where am I?_

He attempted to move and a sharp pain had his eyes snapping open and down at his left arm. A tube jutted from it, a clear liquid filling it.

"You're awake!"

His eyes snapped up to the woman that was in his room. She looked frazzled, heavy bags beneath her eyes, but the dark depths of blue held concern and over all relief.

"Hello, Higurashi-san." he stated, curious as to why his voice was so hoarse.

She seemed to notice immediately and reached for a glass that was set on his bedside. Handing it to him he watched her smile sadly down at him.

"How are you, Sasuke-chan?"

He took a sip of water and cleared his throat before trying his voice again, "Sore."

She nodded, her smile never wavering as Sasuke leaned back in the bed. The memories of what had happened were like fresh wounds in his mind. But he would not allow them to affect him. Not yet. When he was alone, possibly, but now…

Now he would just close his eyes and focus on what needed to be done.

"Kagome wanted to be here."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open. He had never even thought to ask of Kagome! The last thing he remembered was her sitting beneath the tree in her back yard with Naruto…

What had happened that she could not be by his side?

Had Inuyasha hurt her once more?

Or, worse yet, had Itachi taken one more thing from him?Kunloon seemed to see where his thoughts were running to and put a stop to them before he could to far ahead of himself, "She's fine, Sasuke-chan. She's just hasn't been sleeping well recently. I was finally able to get her to sleep."

Sasuke physically relaxed, "Why has she not been sleeping?"

Kunloon sobered instantly, "She came to you…that night. Said she couldn't sleep and that something told her to go to you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he stared at the ceiling. She had seen what he had seen. But Itachi had rendered him unconscious.

What had he done to her?

"The ANBU found her with you. She wouldn't leave your side. Not until the funeral and then she came right back."

Sasuke turned back to her once more, eyes curious, "Funeral?"

Kunloon nodded and sighed, leaning back in the seat, "I had forgotten you have been unconscious for nearly a week."

When she opened her eyes once more she looked years older, "Kagome's Otousan passed away the night that…"

She didn't finish her statement. She didn't need to. Sasuke knew and she did well by avoiding the subject.

"Is she…Is Kagome…alright?"

Kunloon nodded, a wry smile on her face, "She has yet to cry, though. Not even when they buried Tai."

Her voice hitched slightly and Sasuke saw her close her eyes and clear her throat. She was a strong woman. She would not cry in front of him.

But the fact that both he and Kagome had lost so much made Sasuke's eyes burn.

He snapped them closed, refusing to cry.

The doors to his room opened and closed and Sasuke wrote it off as one of the nurses. When he heard Kunloon sigh he kept his eyes closed, "I thought you would remain asleep."

"You should have come and got me when you came to the hospital."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open at her listless voice. He turned to her and watched her hands fly to her mouth with a sharp intake of breath.

"Why didn't you tell me he was awake?" Kagome stated, her voice breathy.

In an instant she was by his side and Sasuke was able to get a good look at her. If he thought her mother looked worn, it compared nothing to what Kagome looked like. Her dark eyes were listless, barely holding a spark of the life he was so used to seeing there. It looked as if someone had hit her, dark bruise colored circles covering the underneath of her eyes. She was pale and her hair looked tousled like she had slept restlessly. She dressed in a simple black kimono, the sign of mourning.

She sat on the side of his bed and offered him a watered down smile, "How are you, Sasuke?"

Her voice sounded broken and he could not take it anymore. He reached forward and ran the hand that did not hold his IV down the side of her face.

"Better now."

He saw her eyes light up slightly as she placed her hand over his on her cheek, "I was so scared…"

He sat up slightly and her eyes widened. Immediately her hands went to his shoulder as she tried to hold him down.

"Please Sasuke. Don't over exert yourself."

He rolled his eyes and continued to sit up. When she didn't move he did the only thing he could think of.

He grabbed her and pulled her down to the bed with him.

Kunloon said nothing as she watched the young man in front of her embrace her daughter. Kagome's shoulders loosened as she wrapped her arms around him. Shaking her head she stood and made her way out of the hospital room.

Sasuke laid his head atop of hers and just held her. Silence stretched between them as they took comfort in each other.

"I-I'm sorry."

His voice was broken and Kagome felt the first stirrings of tears. He had lost so much and he was apologizing to her?

It was too much.

She buried her face in his hospital gown as tears ran hot from her eyes, "You wouldn't wake up. No matter what they tried. I thought you would never come back."

Sasuke rubbed his hands up her back, comforting her in the most basic of ways. It was strange for him, to know she has lost her Otousan, and she was so worried about him she hadn't let herself feel anything.

She was either very strong, very stubborn, or very stupid. He had yet to discern which it was as of yet.

"I-I thought…I thought he had…And then what Sesshomaru did…"

Sasuke's hands stilled, "Sesshomaru?"

Kagome hiccupped, her voice softer than it was moments before, "Sesshomaru killed my Tou-san."

Sasuke felt his limbs turn to lead but he didn't release her. So their situations were even closer than he had realized. They had both had someone they never thought could hurt them so badly betray them.

He closed his eyes and for the second time felt tears prickle his eyes. But this time, instead of forcing them back, he allowed them to fall down his face. Once they started though they wouldn't stop. He cried for himself, for his family. He cried for her and how much she cared for him, how much she had lost. They cried together and held one another like frightened children trying to hide from the monsters in the night.

Minutes turned to hours and before long the nurse came in to do her rounds. Sasuke didn't move, his head laid across Kagome's as she lay across his body. The nurse made a sound and Sasuke turned to her. She looked down disapprovingly.

"Should I mover her, Uchiha-san? That cant be comfortable."

She moved to take Kagome from him before he could answer and Sasuke tightened his grip on her.

"If you touch her," he whispered, his voice harsh, "I will break every one of your fingers."

The nurse retracted her hands, holding them against her chest as her eyes widened in what appeared to be shock. She recomposed herself quick enough and nodded before turning back to the door and leaving them alone once more.

Kagome made a whimpering sound in her sleep and Sasuke returned his attention to her. Her face was scrunched up as her eyes flittered behind her closed eyes lids. He could only guess what she was dreaming. Unwilling to wake her he simply tightened his grip around her and whispered soothingly into her hair.

Its alright Kagome. I'm here. Shhhh…"

She relaxed once more and nuzzled deeper into his embrace. Sasuke sighed and allowed his eyes to close slightly.

_I'll always be here, Kagome. _

…

The next morning Sasuke was released. Kagome had remained by his side but not with out the protest of every doctor and nurse that had come into his room the night before. When they would motion like they would take her from him he would simply glare at them. If they persisted he would threaten.

He had even demonstrated how serious he was when a particularly persistent nurse had not taken the hint. He felt no remorse even when she had started to cry, three of her fingers were now wrapped heavily and a sickish purple green color.

Sasuke looked up at the sky, his eyes as dark as the clouds that continued to roll in. It had been raining for what felt like months, though it had only been a few days. Sasuke closed his eyes and listened to the wind as it whipped past him, brining on the heavy sent of wet earth.

Kagome remained by his side, her presence comforting even though he wouldn't admit it out loud. He was numb, which was a reprieve. He would much rather be numb then to feel the heart clenching pain he had felt _that _night.

"Kaa-san says you can stay with us, until they have your apartment ready for you." Kagome spoke quietly, her voice void of all emotion.

He turned to her and opened his eyes. Her eyes were half shuttered as she watched the village before them. The wind played in her tousled hair, knotting it even further than it was. He didn't need to say anything, she already knew anything he could say.

So instead he nodded and the ghost of a smile appeared on her face.

They walked together in silence back to the Higurashi household.

When they came to her house Kagome showed him mutely to the spare bedroom. He surveyed the bare room, noting that the bed was turned down already.

_Higurashi-san must have put clean sheets on it._

Granted it was nothing compared to his room back at the Uchiha house, but he was grateful none the less. He didn't want to go back there just yet.

Kagome walked over to the bed and sat down, "I know its not a lot, but-"

He cut her off, "Its fine, Kagome."

She nodded and stood, "Lunch will be ready soon. Then the ANBU will be over to explain the…arrangements…to you."

Sasuke nodded and watched as she walked over to him. They stood in front of echo her silently, neither sure what to say now.

"If you need me," she spoke softly, unsure of herself, "my room is the last one on the right. I don't care what time it is," her eyes ignited slightly, "just come to my door and knock. Alright?"

He nodded and she smiled softly before walking around him and out of the room, leaving him to himself.

Sasuke walked into the room and sat on the bed she had been occupying a moment before. He sat in the same spot and looked around, studying the bare walls. There truly wasn't anything special about this room, but somehow he felt comfortable. Someone had offered him something with out wanting something in return. It was not something he wa familiar with. Everytime Itachi had done him a favor there was always one expected in return.

The thought of Itachi made his heart clench painfully. He couldn't understand, didn't want to. Itachi couldn't have created such damage with just the idea of power fuelling him.

_What do I know? _Sasuke chasted himself. It wasn't like he could see into Itachi's head. His Aniki was an engma in himself. Itachi did many things that others would think weird. But this, this was something Sasuke could have neither expected or understood.

Anger began to build with in, and from his anger birthed hate. It didn't matter why Itachi had done what he had done. The fact that he had slaughtered their clan, their family, and had left with out facing the reprocussins of his actions was unforgivable.

Sasuke stood up abruptly and walked towards the door, anger darkening his eyes. Now was not the time to think about this. Now was the time to plan, to train, to become stronger.

_Then, one day, I will make him face what he has done, what he has created. _

Sasuke stormed from his room to the dining room were Kunloon sat feeding a baby and Kagome sat at the table, a plate of nearly untouched food in front of her. Her eyes held a haunted look and she still looked pale even though the dark circles beneath her eyes had lightened slightly. She looked up and smiled at him before returning to her plate. The look she held only fueled Sasuke's anger. Not only had Iatchi taken something from himself, but he had been working with Sesshomaru who had taken something from Kagome. He had promised himself that he would let nothing happen to her, and yet Sesshomaru had wounded her beyond anything Sasuke could fix.

He took the seat across from her and pulled one of the plates Kunloon had made for lunch towards himself. He would make them both pay.

…

The next morning came dark and grey finding both Kagome and Sasuke in the public cemetery. Hundreds of fresh graves laid in front of them where the Uchiha were laid to their final rest. Naruto stood on Kagome's opposite side, somber in the thick atmosphere. The entire village had shown up for the funeral service and now the Hokage stood before them.

He spoke the the Uchiha clan as a whole, delving into the vast history of the clan with ease. Though Sasuke knew he should pay attention he could not.

Before him lay his family, his entire family. There was nothing the Hokage could say that would quill the raging torrent that was his emotions. Sadness for those who had cut down before their time, regret that he had been able to do nothing.

Rage for what Itachi had done so carelessly.

Moments, or perhaps hours, later Sasuke still remained silent. He stared at the fresh turned earth in front of him, eyes void of all emotion. He did not realieze that everyone had left until a cold drop fell on his hair. He blinked and turned his eyes up to the sky and watched as more heavy drops began to fall.

He still could not bring himself to feel.

Closing his eyes he allowed the rain to pelt his face, washing down his cheeks, feeling very much like the tears he could not seem to shed.

He felt something warm enclose his hand and opened his eyes. Looking down he saw a pale hand wrapped around his own, the slender fingers entertwining with his own.

Following the arm up he saw the one person who had not left him. Even as the freezing rain pelted her slight form she had taken leave of her basic senses to remain by his side.

As if feeling his gaze upon her she turned to him. Her dark blue eyes were hooded, her hair sticking to her face from the rain. A tense smile curled her pale lips and her hands squeezed his slightly.

He returned his gaze to the graves before him and squeezed her hand.

The rain began to seep into his clothing, and he knew he should be cold, but he couldn't feel anything. He felt a slight tremor from their conjoined hands and looked back down at the smaller girl who still stood by his side.

She was shivering.

Even though he could see it clearly, the slight way her shoulders trembled, the almost silent sound of her teeth chattering together, it seemed to go unnoticed to her. She was determined to stay by his side, no matter what.

He closed his eyes once more and turned from the grave sights, her hand still held tightly with in his own.

"Come on Kagome," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear, "before we both get sick."

She nodded and followed behind him wordlessly.

…

The Higurashi household was silent and dark, but no matter how hard he tried, sleep would not come.

So he laid in bed staring at the ceiling.

Sasuke allowed his mind to wander back to early in the day. Kagome had stayed by his side when everyone else had left. She had stayed with out so much as a complaint, not willing to leave him alone.

_Just like Itachi would._

That thought sent the young Uchiha's thoughts into a wirlwind he couldn't control. Before he knew it he was remembering so many times he had spent with his Aniki. Itachi helping him in training, praising him when he had learned the Katon, carrying him home when he had sprained his ankle.

The memories caused his eyes to sting, making him scrub at them. He would not cry. Not now.

No matter how hard he tried though tears welled up behind his eye lids to roll down his face. Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as he covered his face with his hands and rolled onto his side. Curling up as tight as he could he cried into his hands.

He never heard the door to his room open or close. Nor did he hear the soft foot steps as they walked across the floor to his bed.

When the bed sank under the persons weight he stiffened. Pulling his hands from his face he looked up at the stranger with clouded eyes.

Kagome sat by him, her hands hovering above her hair, a look of uncertainty crossing her shadowed features. When he made no move to stop her she began to smooth his hair back, trying to soothe him.

The motion was too much. Sasuke wrapped his arms around himself as a ragged sob tore from his lips.

She moved smoothly, crawling into the bed behind him, and wrapped her arms around him. Sasuke rolled to face her and wrapped his arms around her. Burrying his face in her yukata he cried, his body shaking from the force. She rubbed her hands up his back, whispering soothing things to him as he cried out, the sound muffled by her clothing.

He felt moisture fall on the top of his head and was able to compose himself long enough to look up at her. Her dark eyes were closed tight as crystalline tears fell from the edges.

"Why are you crying Kagome?" he whispered, his voice rough but soft.

She looked down at him and he could see sorrow deep with in the azure depths of her eyes, "Because no matter what I do, no matter what I say, I can't take this pain away from you. I can't make it better."

Her statement caught him off guard and before he could stop them fresh tears welled to his eyes. He tightened his grip on her and laid his face back with in her clothing.

"Just don't leave me. Please don't leave me."

She nodded and did something he didn't expect. She kissed the top of his head softly, her tears still falling.

"Never, Sasuke. I'll always be here."

"Promise?"

He spoke so softly she almost missed it. But the room was silent and his whispered question echoed off the walls, holding the last hope of his dying innocence.

Kagome nodded and pressed her face into his hair once more, "I promise."

He relaxed minutely in her hold, his arms never releasing her from his grip. Kagome soon felt his breathing even out, signaling he was asleep. She sighed and tried to move out of his hold, but his arms simply tightened around her like a child holding their favorite stuffed animal.

Smiling to herself Kagome simply made herself comfortable and allowed her eyes to drift closed. She fell asleep, the sound of his even breathing like a sweet lullaby, soothing her off to dreamlessness.


	5. Not what they expected

Disclaimer- nadda

"You can not hide her forever, Kunloon."

She regarded the older man in front of her with hard eyes. His amber eyes were cold and calculating even while his smile appeared to be sincere.

_Like a snake waiting to strike. _

Kunloon set her tea cup down on its saucer and regarded the man with a emotionless expression. It had been two and a half years since her husband had been murdered, but with in the time, Taisho Akihiro had become persistent. Scars littered the side of his face, causing his once regal expression to be slightly lopsided.

_I wish Sesshomaru had killed you. _

"I believe Kagome would grow exponentially under my care. Apart from that she would get to know her fiancé on a more basic level."

Kunloon shook her head, "No. Kagome will remain here until she graduates to chuunin level. That is when the Hokage deems shinobi able to live on their own."

Akihiro's expression faltered for a moment, "Why do you fight against the idea so badly? Surely you do not blame me for Sesshomaru's wrong doings?"

Kunloon felt a cruel laugh build in her throat but did not let it loose. She knew, it didn't take a genius to figure out, what Akihiro had done. Her husband had been no fool either. In his last days he had composed a letter to his wife and instructed a carrier to deliver it to her only once he was dead.

It had said three simple words, _Ask the Hokage. _

So, letter in hand, she had gone to see Sarutobi.

The Hokage could not deny the grieving woman the truth, but he had made her swear to secrecy under the penalty of treason not to tell a single living soul what she knew.

But even with the knowledge she could not contest Tai's will. Akihiro had enough sway in the village to have her executed and to take what he wanted.

But it didn't mean she, as Kagome's legal guardian, couldn't slow him down.

"I could never blame you for what _Sesshomaru _did. But I will allow my daughter to grow enough so that she realizes what it is you want from her."

Akihiro waved her statement away and picked up his own tea cup, "She will learn under my careful surveillance. I do not see any reason to wait any longer than her graduation from the academy."

Kunloon slammed her hands down on the table, coming to her feet in one swift movement, "She graduates today! As well as she will be assigned into a team tomorrow! You cannot deny her this growing experience."

Akihiro sipped from his cup as if she had never made an outburst, "There is no need to be hostile."

With a sigh he shook his head, "Have it your way, Higurashi-_san. _I will wait until after the chuunin exams this year, but that is it. I must insist she and Inuyasha spend more time together, though."

Kunloon's eyes frosted over, "So your son can break more of my daughters bones? I think not."

Akihiro grinned, "Inuyasha's temper has subsided a great deal."

She snorted and crossed her arms, "You may leave now, Taisho-san. My child will be home shortly, and I do not wish for her to know of any of this before I tell her."

Akihiro stood, setting his cup down. He gave her a sweeping bow before making his way to the front door.

"Do not try to deny me what I want, Kunloon." his smile was cruel, "there is no one in the village that cannot be swayed to _my _favor."

She watched as he walked out the door before sinking into her seat. Rubbing her temples she closed her eyes.

_Kagome, my poor Kagome. I am so sorry. _

The door opened and closed and the sound of childhood voices filled the house. Kunloon forced herself to smile and stood, picking up the pair of tea cups and walking into the kitchen.

"Its alright Naruto. You'll get it. I know you will."

Kunloon didn't hear the blonde reply as the pair walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Kaa-san! Guess what?"

Kunloon turned and saw Kagome smiling, a new hitai-ate tied proudly around her neck. Kunloon grinned and clapped her hands together, "That's my girl!"

Naruto sulked, crossing his arms across his chest. Kunloon gave him a sympathetic look before patting his head.

"You want me to make you some ramen Naruto?"

He perked up, but not by much, "Would you, Higurashi-san?"

Kunloon nodded and turned to the cupboard.

Kagome turned to her sulking friend and felt her heart clench, "Its alright Naruto. You'll get it down."

He shrugged and turned from the kitchen to the small dining room area. Kagome sighed and followed him, fingering her new hitai-ate. She didn't feel guilty for wearing it, but more felt bad for Naruto not having one. But that wasn't the reason he was so upset, not really.

"_How will we get put on the same team if I didn't graduate?"_

His panicked outburst remained cemented in her mind. She had even gone to Iruka after class to see if there was anything that could be done. But he had declined and that left her with a sour taste in her mouth.

"So what are you doing tonight, Naruto?"

He shrugged and Kagome sighed before placing her head in her hands, "Please cheer up, Naruto-kun."

He grumbled, "But if I don't graduate then who will be there to protect you? You cant think Teme will be able to be there all the time."

Kagome sighed and looked up at him, her chin still placed in her palm, "Who even says we'll get to be on a team together?"

Naruto snorted, "Who else would Iruka pair us with?"

Kagome shook her head again and watched as her mother came in with two steaming bowls. Naruto perked up slightly when she set one in front of him.

"Kagome's right, Naruto. You'll get it."

Naruto nodded and picked up the chopsticks she had laid beside his bowl. Kagome watched as his moody expression melted to a happier one. He slurped his noodles down with a content smile and Kagome shook her head before looking down at her own bowl.

"So you wanna train tonight?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I got something to do."

Kagome's face turned to a curious frown, "Really?"

He nodded and looked up at her to see she had crossed her arms and had an irritated look on her face. Swallowing his mouth full of ramen he put his chopsticks down and cocked his head to the side, "What's wrong Gome-chan?"

She sighed and shrugged, "Its just…With Sasuke blowing me off constantly to go train, I thought maybe I could get to spend a little one on one time with you, but your blowing me off too…"

Naruto gulped hard and scrambled out of his seat. He was in front of her in an instant, on his knees, his face buried in her stomach.

"I'm not blowing you off Gome-chan! There's just something I have to do!"

Kagome sighed and shrugged once again, "I'll just train by myself then."

He looked up at her, his eyes pleading, "How about you come with me then?"

Kagome looked down at him, her eyes suspicious, "What are you doing anyway?"

He smiled, "Just say you will!"

Kagome couldn't help but smile at his antics, "Alright! Alright!"

He laughed and hugged her tight, "You wont regret it Gome-chan!"

She watched as he jumped up and ran towards the front door, "I'll be back later! Alright?"

Kagome laughed, "Alright!'

She heard the door open and close, leaving Kagome alone in the dining room with her mother.

Kunloon shook her head, "That boy grows more and more fond of you every single day."

Kagome made a face and picked up her chop sticks, "I know what your thinking Kaa-san. Its not like that with Naruto."

Kunloon raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And what is your relationship with Naruto?"

Kagome shrugged and took a small bite of her ramen, "He's like my brother. I could never like him…well…like that."

Kunloon nodded, "And Sasuke?"

Kagome laughed harshly around a mouth full of noodles, "Sasuke is just a friend, Kaa-san." _Never mind the fact that he is to busy 'training' to even hang out with me anymore. _

"Just a friend huh? Do we need to have the talk?"

Kagome eyed her mother suspiciously, "What talk?"

Kunloon smiled and sat down across from her daughter, "Well, Kagome, when two people love each other very much-"

Kagome's eyes widened comically before she clapped her hands over her ears and shook her head, "Oh gross Kaa-san!"

Kunloon laughed at her daughters uncomfortableness. Standing once again she took Naruto's half empty ramen bowl to the sink.

"Just making sure you understand."

Kagome slumped in her seat, her appetite effectively abolished, "And like I said before, Sasuke is just a friend."

Kunloon nodded but in the back of her mind she could help but chuckle. She could remember herself denying any form of romance between herself and Tai.

Her thoughts darkened, Akihiro's face popping to the forefront of her mind. It didn't matter that her daughter could be at the beginning of something beautiful in her life. Akihiro wanted her, and the arrogant ninja always got what he wanted. No matter what.

"I'm leaving now Kaa-san."

Kunloon nodded and turned to watch Kagome walk out of the kitchen towards the door.

_How much longer can I keep you, Kagome?_

…

"I don't think we should be here, Naruto."

The blonde ignored her silent plea and Kagome felt her unease begin to rise. The forest was dark and she could barely see her own hand in front of her face, but somehow Naruto knew where he was going.

"Just a few more minutes, Gome-chan!"

She wrung her hands together and followed the sound of his voice, "I don't like this Naruto."

He chuckled and continued to move forward, "Why don't you just wait here Gome-chan. I'll be back before you know it."

Kagome looked around at the dark forest and sighed, "No, I'll come. I'm just making sure my opinion is voiced."

Naruto chuckled again, "Duly noted. Now hurry up!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and followed after him, picking up her pace. When they crested the hill Kagome's eyes widened.

"Naruto! We cant go in there!"

He shrugged, "_We_ aren't. You're going to stay out here."

Kagome shook her head and grabbed his hand, "No Naruto. Come on. This can not only get us into a lot of trouble, but it can get us arrested."

He shrugged out of her hold and walked into the small wooden building. Kagome stood outside, wringing her hands around the bottom of her shirt.

_Stupid baka. Kaa-san would kill me if she knew I was here!_

She turned away from the building and looked out over the dark forest. Silence surrounded the area and she was uneasy. When Naruto came out from behind her he was carrying a large scroll, one she had never seen or heard of.

"Naruto! Put that back!"

He shook his head and plopped down on his rear end, "Mizuki-sensei said if I learned the techniques in this scroll then Iruka would have no choice but to pass me!"

Kagome shook her head and walked over to the tree line, "Fine! But I want no part in this!"

Naruto nodded and began to study the scroll.

…

Naruto was unsure of how long they had been there, but finally he had got it. Exhaustion overwhelmed him and he fell back onto his rear end, laughing. Glancing over he saw Kagome, still seated, her chin pressed to her chest and a peaceful expression on her face.

He sighed and laid back until he was prone against the ground.

_Now Iruka-sensei has to pass me!_

"Naruto!"

Naruto sat up and gulped at the annoyed voice directed at him. Looking up he met the angry gaze of Iruka as he stood over the exhausted blonde.

"H-hey Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka's eyebrow began to twitch, "what, can I ask, are you doing?"

Naruto grinned up at him, "I was learning a new technique! Now you have to pass me Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka rubbed his temples, "And where did you get that idea?"

Naruto beamed, "Mizuki-sensei of course!"

Iruka paused, "Mizuki?"

A cruel laugh broke through clearing and both jumped in time to see a barrage of kunai flying at them. Iruka, thinking fast, pushed Naruto down and took the brunt of the attack upon himself.

"How heroic, saving the monster that destroyed everything you hold dear."

Iruka glared at the fellow trainer, "Shut your mouth, Mizuki!"

Mizuki chuckled once more as Iruka pulled kunai from his leg, "Poor Naruto, you don't even know what were talking about do you?"

Naruto looked back at Iruka then up at Mizuki, curiosity written plainly on his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't say it Mizuki!"

Mizuki ignored Iruka and smiled down at the blonde, "There has been a law set about Konoha, it is fairly new considering how ancient the other laws are. Merely twelve years old. Do you know what this law is?"

Naruto struggled to get to his feet, "Spit it out already!"

Mizuki laughed, "The law is to not speak of Naruto or what is trapped with in him."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, _Trapped…inside me?_

"Don't say it Mizuki!" Iruka shouted, grasping his injured leg.

But Mizuki merely ignored him, "Of how the nine tailed fox demon that attacked our village twelve years ago, the one that took the fourth Hokage's life, is sealed with in you, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto's eyes widened, "Wh-"

Mizuki laughed and unhooked one of the giant shurikan attached to his back, "Now die demon!"

Naruto remained frozen, paralyzed from fear, as the giant weapon came hurtling towards him.

"Naruto! Duck!"

Closing his eyes Naruto prepared for the worst.

A sickening sound filled the air, but Naruto felt no pain. Cracking his eyes open he turned to see where the blade had gone.

Iruka stood above him, the giant weapon protruding from his back. Tears ran from his sensei's eyes.

"Naruto…" he rasped, "I understand why you are the way you are. Your just like me. When one grows up with no parents, they seek attention anywhere they can find it. So I understand why you do everything that you do."

He gasped, blood welling to his mouth, "Now run."

Iruka reached back and grasped the weapon in his back and hurled it back at its owner. Mizuki smirked and side stepped, allowing it to pass right by him into the forest, leaving a trail of destruction behind it.

"What do you think your doing, Iruka? You're only delaying the inevitable!" Mizuki reached for his other star, "I will kill that brat and take the scroll from his cold dead fing-"

He never finished the statement. A black blur swept by him and a crack echoed through the clearing as the branch beneath him began to crumble away. Leaping from the branch to another he repositioned himself on the defensive and looked around.

Naruto's eyes widened when Kagome appeared in front of him, her hair still billowing behind her from the speed she had been traveling before. The weapon Iruka had hurtled back at Mizuki held firmly in her left hand as she took the defensive over both of them.

"Naruto, you need to move, now." the command was cold and sharp, making Naruto wonder if this really was Kagome. Surely his kind, sweet hearted friend couldn't be the deadly entity he saw in front of him.

Could it?

She began to spin the weapon, preparing for another assault. Mizuki began to laugh as he clutched his other shurikan.

"Come on kid! Lets see what you got!"

Naruto heard Kagome's 'heh' before she once again disappeared. There was no indication where she had gone, nor was there any warning for Mizuki until she was above him, brining the still spinning weapon down over her head.

He was able to catch it with his own weapon, sparks flying from where the metal connected.

"How did you move so fast?"

Kagome disappeared once again before reappearing behind him. There was nothing to stand on so in mid air she threw the shurikan at him. Mizuki was barely able to dodge it this time, loosing his footing completely and falling towards the earth.

Kagome reappeared beside Naruto and grabbed a hold of his arm, "Move, Naruto!"

He nodded and allowed her to drag him away from Iruka. Iruka watched as Kagome wrapped arms around Naruto and they were gone in the blink of an eye.

_The flash step. _

All Naruto saw was the swirling darkness around them, could only hear Kagome's labored breathing as she tried to move as fast as she could with his combined weight. When they were far enough away from the battle she came to a skidding halt and released him. It took Naruto a moment to regain his bearing but by the time he did Kagome had gone to one knee, her breathing labored.

"Kagome!"

She looked up at him and he could see a fine sheen of sweat covering her brow, "Keep running Naruto. Get away from here."

He shook his head and ran over to her, "I cant just leave you!"

She shook her head and weakly pushed at his arms, "I cant run anymore Naruto. I've just about exhausted my chak-"

She didn't finish the statement as one of the giant shurikan spun through the clearing. Cursing she pushed Naruto back and covered her vital organs. The shurikan flew by them, catching her in the side and splitting it open.

Gasping her hands went instinctively to the wound. Blood was already seeping through the wound, making her hands slick with it. She could tell enough that it was a clean cut and being such it would be no hard ship to heal.

If she could get to a healer, that was.

"Oh the poor girl is tired. Too bad," came Mizuki's harsh voice, "that will make it less fun when I kill the both of you."

He laughed and jumped from his tree branch to land softly by the two children.

"Now to just-"

He was cut off when Naruto came to stand between him and Kagome, a look of pure hatred on his face.

"You wont touch Kagome-chan again." his hands formed a seal in front of him, "Ill kill you first!"

Chakra began to build so fast that it nearly choked Kagome. She watched through half lidded eyes as Naruto swirled the chakra around himself and released it.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Kagome's eyes widened as hundreds of Naruto's appeared around them. But she couldn't tell which was the real one. These were not just simple clones.

Mizuki took a step back, shock and fear written clearly on his face as the clones smirked and began to speak.

"What, not going to attack?"

"That's to bad!"

"Because here we come!"

The clones swarmed, overwhelming the shinobi by sheer numbers.

Kagome felt a pair of arms wrap around her and looked up to see a mop of blonde hair shielding his blue eyes. He lifted her gently into his arms, one of his hands moving to cover the wound and try to slow the bleeding.

Iruka ran into the clearing just to see the Naruto's finish with Mizuki. His eyes widened in shock for a moment before a wry smile curled his face.

He turned to the pair to see the bloodied girl in his pupils arms. His smile slipped away instantly and he ran over to them despite his injured leg.

"We need to get her to the hospital."

He tried to take her from Naruto, but he wouldn't let her go, "I'll take her Iruka. Just try to keep up."

Iruka nodded and watched as Naruto turned and began to run back towards the village.

…

The class room was in an uproar. Each of them eagerly awaiting to be put into a squad. Sasuke over heard the group of girls that had seemed to be stalking him whispering from his back, each one praying to be put on a squad with him. He rolled his eyes.

_If I get put with anyone of these nitwits I'll light them on fire. Iruka does realize that the only female in this room I can stand is Kagome, right?_

He closed his eyes and repositioned his hitai-ate. He seriously hoped his sensei wasn't that much of an idiot.

His eyes rested on the clock positioned above the door before flickering back to the back row. Two empty seats still sat there, and Sasuke felt his eyes narrow. He had expected Naruto to be absent, seeing as he had not graduated, but Kagome?

His mind went back to every other time she had been absent and his thoughts darkened. It only occurred after she had a 'training' session with Inuyasha.

_If he's hurt her again, there will be nothing stopping me this time. I'll roast his skin from his body. _

The door opened, brining him from his dark thoughts. To his immense surprise Naruto stood there, boasting a brand new hitai-ate. He grinned and ran his thumb beneath his nose before turning back to the hallway.

"Come on, Gome-chan, don't want to be late do you?"

Her reply was a simple grunt, which made Sasuke's eyebrows shoot up. Sure Kagome wasn't exactly a morning person, but she was always chipper. And today was one of the days he expected her to be bouncing in, excited to be placed on a team.

When she came into the room she shot Naruto a dark glare, "Well excuse me."

Naruto laughed and threw his arm over her shoulder before they continued to walk into the room. Sasuke noticed that she had a slight limp, but other than that she merely looked worn.

Naruto helped her to walk to the stairs and just as they were about to pass him he held out his hand and caught her wrist.

She paused, "Huh?" looking down at her trapped appendage she smiled at her captor, "Hey Sasuke. What's up?"

He leveled her with a flat look before standing and taking position on her other side. Naruto only smirked when Sasuke began to help her to walk as well.

"Your injured. Why?"

She sighed as they came to their seat, "Because my Kaa-san said it would be a good lesson, 'serves you right for being outside after curfew', she said. 'You'll know not to try to take on flying shurikan'."

Sasuke's eyebrows raised once more as she slid into her seat, "She specifically instructed for the medic's to only heal me enough so that it would need stitches."

Sasuke took in a deep breath through his nostrils and let it out slowly between his lips, "Does this have anything to do with the fact Naruto is now graduated?"

Kagome laid her head against the desk and yawned, "He did that all on his own. Wasn't his fault."

Her last statement came out muffled as she began to drift off to sleep. Sasuke turned to Naruto, his eyes hard, but instead of venting his frustrations out on him he chose to simply glare and move back to his seat.

"What the hell teme? Its not my fault she's wounded!"

Sasuke hned but did not turn around as he found his seat, "She was in your care, was she not?"

Naruto's fist balled at his side and he marched down the isle to were Sasuke was sitting, "Oi, teme!"

Sasuke ignored him and Naruto growled before jumping on to his desk, "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Sasuke turned and leveled him with a steely glare, "What is it?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "The only reason she was with me last night is because you have been ditching her to 'train'."

Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously, "I have not been ditching her."

Naruto snorted and poked him in the forehead, "Yea? Then where have you been, huh?"

At that very moment Shikamaru pushed his chair back and knocked into Naruto's rear end, causing a chain reaction that could neither be stopped nor avoided. Naruto lost his balance and tumbled forward his hand flaring out along his sides.

When he finally was stopped the room went deathly silent.

Naruto's lips connected with Sasuke's and they were both frozen for a moment, neither sure what had happened. When Sasuke realized what had happened he pushed Naruto, hard, and caused him to fall backwards off his desk. Standing while wiping his mouth he glared down at the blonde.

"I'll kill you!"Naruto spat on the ground and wiped his lips on his sleeve while the room erupted into laughter around them. Well, laughter from the male part, and death threats directed towards Naruto from the female part.

Kagome merely picked up her head, having missed the entire show, and looked down at her friends with sleepy eyes.

"What 'appened? Why ya on the floor Naruto?"

He shot her an embarrassed look before scrambling to his feet and making a hasty retreat to her side.

Iruka chose this moment to come into the room. Kagome blinked tiredly before sitting up. Naruto scrunched closer to her side, damn near clinging to her. She looked around the room and noticed, not for the first time, that they were receiving a lot of glares. But for once they didn't seem directed at her. She turned to the cowering Naruto and raised an eyebrow.

"What did you do now?"

He shook his head, "Don't ask. Then I can pretend this has all been a horrible, horrible dream."

Kagome sighed, "You know you'll tell me eventually, right?"

He nodded but buried his face in her shoulder, "Just please, not now."

Kagome nodded and patted his head, still confused. She looked down at Sasuke to see him glaring murderously in their direction. But she knew it wasn't her he was glaring at. Unless she had been sleep talking.

Iruka called the class to attention and congratulated them on their graduation. Naruto seemed to calm down but not enough to release his death grip on her clothing. Kagome simply rolled her eyes and leaned her head back.

_Chakra depletion is a bitch. _She thought bitterly. But it was only slightly daunting. Because from her chakra depletion had come about something that she had been working so hard towards.

She had finally done it. She could do the flash step.

_Now to just do it on command and I'll be set. _

A wry smile curled her lips as she listened to Iruka begin to name to the teams. As he ticked off the names the newly graduated genin moved to sit with their team mates. She wasn't surprised when many of the females seemed to be disappointed.

When there were only four students left she began to stretch, knowing that she would need to move and sit next to Sasuke in a moment. Not that she was cocky or anything, but it was the only logical choice. After all, why would Iruka place Sasuke with the pink haired girl who he seemed to hate.

"And team seven will be composed of Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura."

Kagome froze, her mind not able to process the information.

_Did he…Wait…What?_

Naruto seemed as shocked as she was because he didn't move even while Sakura jumped from her seat and ran over to the seat next to Sasuke. He was frozen as she latched onto his arm, reminding Kagome of a very large leech.

"But Iruka-sensei, what about Kagome?" Naruto asked, still unable to move from her side.

Iruka sighed and looked up at the pair, "Higurashi Kagome has been referred to a genin group that graduated last year. Their sensei sent one of their team mates back to the academy to refresh her skills."

Kagome nodded and swallowed, hard. She wasn't on Sasuke's or even Naruto's team. She looked back down at the pink haired genin and saw her smirking triumphantly at her. Kagome felt her temper begin to rise.

_Why that little-_

"Higurashi, your team is awaiting you in the thirteenth training grounds. Why don't you go and meet them?"

Kagome nodded mutely and stood from her seat. Naruto looked up at her to see that she had a scowl tattooed across her face, her eyes narrowed dangerously at the front of the room. When she walked by Sakura and Sasuke, Sasuke's eyes followed her as she walked towards the door, an almost pleading look on his face. Sakura merely smirked, victoriously. She sent one last look at her two friends before walking out the door.

Naruto swallowed hard and stood on shaking legs. He had never thought, not even for a millisecond, that Kagome wouldn't be with him or Sasuke. One was hardly seen with out the other two, so why would Iruka separate them?

Iruka smiled and watched as the sensei's came into the room to collect their students. Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled down to the empty seat across the walk way from Sasuke and Sakura.

Suddenly today wasn't as great as he thought it would be.

_**Hmm…Quite the little drama starter aren't I?**_

_**You know the drill, click the little button at the bottom. You know, the 'review' button? Its so pretty how can you not click it? **_


	6. Hatred of Bunnies

Ahh! And here we are! Another chapter. This one is really easy to write, considering I have already done the one shot and everything. Hope you all are enjoying it as much as I am!

Disclaimer- nope.

Her mind was detached as she walked through the village. Everything was numb. She had expected to be laughing today, joking with Naruto, making Sasuke smile that little smile he always held for her.

But no.

Here she was, walking through the village, alone.

While _pinky _was with her boys.

_What right does she have to get to be with them? What has she done for either of them? She wasn't the one to be with Naruto when he finally mastered the clone jutsu! She didn't hold Sasuke the day after the funeral! How could Iruka do this to us?_

Her thoughts caused her eyes to sting. She scrubbed at them, irritated with herself. After all, it wasn't like she wasn't ever going to see them again.

_But what is Sasuke starts to like her? She'll turn him against me! Its everything like I was afraid it would be!_

She wrapped her arms around herself as her feet continued to carry her to her destination. It seemed they knew where she needed to go even with out her brain directed her in the right direction.

"There she is!"

"Hey Kagome-chan!"

Her head snapped up at the familiar sounding voices and she couldn't help the smile that blossomed over her face.

Two boys about her age stood there waving. One had long dark hair that fell behind him in a long plait. His dark cerulean eyes shined with mischief as he watched her walk over to them, a cocky smile pulled across his handsome face. The other grinned in a way that would make any other woman swoon, his short black locks pulled back into a small tail at the nape of his neck, leaving his bangs to frame his magenta colored eyes.

"Hey Bankotsu! Miroku! I didn't know this was your team! What happened to Kagura?"

Miroku sighed, "She got cocky on out last mission and Jakotsu-sensei sent her back to the academy."

Kagome winced and looked around the training field, "So where is our sensei?"

Bankotsu looked up at the sky and shrugged, "He'll be here soon. So you look tired."

Kagome nodded and folded her hands behind her head, "But it was worth it."

"Oh?"

Kagome nodded again, her smile brightening, "I can do the flash step."

"Really?" Miroku exclaimed, a blinding smile lighting his features. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her around.

"That's great Kagome-chan!"

She laughed and swatted at him, "Put me down, you pervert."

He feigned insulted before setting her down, "You wound me, Kagome."

She rolled her eyes. She had known the pair from her many visits to the Taisho residence. Bankotsu's Okaasan was one of Akihiro's personal healers, and Kagome had become one of her main practice dummies when she would train with Inuyasha. Miroku's Otousan was the Taisho's personal accountant, keeping their money in order. The two children were often seen around the Taisho residence and thus Kagome had known them nearly all her life.

Kagome rubbed the back of her head and looked at the pair, "So what now? Do we wait?"

"Ah! There's my new recruit!"

All three turned to the trees to see a woman standing there. Her dark hair was pulled back into a short pony tail and her small blue eyes shined. Twin triangles decorated her cheeks, the same color purple as her robes. But Kagome took that all in second nature.

Her real concern was the large curved blade strapped to her sensei's spine.

"Jakotsu-sensei, cant you dress like a guy? Just once?"

Kagome dead panned at Miroku's statement, _That's a guy? Really?_

Jakotsu laughed, "What fun would that be, Miroku-kun?"

Kagome straightened and folded her hands behind her head once more. Jakotsu smiled and jumped down from his tree branch to stand in front of them.

"Well, as it appears you three already know one another, we wont have to waste time with pleasantries. All you need to know is that I am your new sensei and I will not hesitate to send you back to the academy at any time if you are showing signs of weakness or carelessness. Understood, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome nodded and swallowed hard, _This guy really isn't playing, is he?_

He clapped his hands and bounced up and down, "Stupendous. Now that that's settled we can go to the fun part."

Kagome saw a mischievous glint enter his eyes as he reached into his robes, "Today I will be testing your skills."

Miroku and Bankotsu groaned, "But you already know our skills, Jakotsu-sensei!'

Jakotsu chuckled and pulled a scroll from his pocket, "True, but I do not know hers or how well you will all work together as a team."

He unwound the scroll and Kagome instantly recognized it as a summoning. Switching to a more guarded position she watched as her new sensei bit his thumb and smeared it across the scroll.

"Now, as Bankotsu and Miroku will tell you, this is one of the most difficult tests you will ever do. If you do not pass, I will fail you so fast it will make your head spin."

Kagome nodded and Jakotsu smile turned almost cruel, "The test I bequeath all three of you is to find and defeat…"

Kagome stiffened as smoke poofed from the scroll. When it cleared she dead panned again.

"Wait…is that…you've got to be joking!'

Jakotsu beamed, "Nope!"

Five snow white bunnies sat on the scroll, looking around the area with small black eyes. Jakotsu clapped his hands.

"You must find and bring back every one of my cute little friends here. But be warned, they are not like normal rabbits."

He clapped his hands again and the rabbits disappeared into five different directions. Miroku and Bankotsu groaned again, "But sensei, we cant catch one of them. Its too fast."

Jakotsu nodded at Miroku's statement before smiling down at Kagome, "Ah, but this time, you have one of the fastest shinobi since the fourth Hokage. So it shouldn't be a problem."

He turned his eyes to the sky and sighed, "Its about two thirty. You have until this time tomorrow to have all my little friends returned to me safely. If not you all three fail. Got it?"

All three nodded and Jakotsu folded his hands behind his head before walking off, "You better get a move on. The longer you wait, the longer my little friends have to hide."

Miroku rolled his shoulders back before looking over at Bankotsu.

"Lets go."

Bankotsu nodded and they both took off, leaving the still stunned Kagome to follow closely behind.

_Am I really going to spend all night chasing rabbits?_

…

It had been nearly three hours since Kagome had left and both Sasuke's and Naruto's moods had turned from sour to murderous.

_If she touches me just once more I swear I will take a kunai and shove it up her-_

Sasuke was interrupted from his tirade by none other than the pink haired genin he had been fantasizing about making a human pin cushion.

"Naruto! Don't do that!"

He glanced over to see the dobe placing a eraser above the door to the class room. He paused only momentarily at Sakura's warning before finishing with his prank.

"Well, if he's a good ninja, he'll just dodge it anyway."

Naruto walked away and sat down against Iruka's desk. He was trying something, anything, to make the terrible feeling go away. He and Sasuke weren't what one would call friends. Truthfully the only reason they ever worked together at all was for Kagome.

And she wasn't there.

Sakura rolled her eyes and turned to smile, once again, at Sasuke.

"Who do you think our sensei is?"

He hned and continued to stare at a spot on the wall. He had been studying said spot for over an hour now, and would probably see it in his dreams later.

The door opened slightly causing all three genin to jump up. A head of silver hair poked into the room a second before the eraser plopped down on his head, causing a cloud of chalk dust to fluff out from it.

Naruto burst into a fit of laughter and Sasuke smiled behind his hand while Sakura glared at the blonde.

"I'm so sorry sensei! I told him not to! But he-"

The sensei quieted her with a look before addressing the group as a whole, "I don't like you. Meet me up on the roof in five minutes."

That being the only thing said he walked back out of the room and shut the door behind him. Naruto straightened and stood before folding his hands behind his head and opened the door. Sasuke stood and followed Naruto out the door, leaving Sakura to pick up the rear.

They were up on the roof when their sensei appeared again. He held a little orange book in his hands and looked around the group with boredom.

"We will be getting to know one another today. When its your turn you will state your name, your likes, your dislikes, and what you want to be when get older. Here, I'll begin."

He snapped his book closed and smiled, though if he was really smiling neither of the three could tell, other than the fact his one visible eye crinkled.

"I'm Hitake Kakashi. My likes, dislikes, and aspirations are my own business. There, now whose next?"

Naruto dead panned, "That was crap!"

Kakashi leveled him with a flat look, "Why don't you go next, loud mouth?"

Naruto grinned, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. My likes are instant ramen, my dislikes are being without ramen and my best friend Kagome, and my aspirations are to become Hokage!"

Kakashi sighed, _great. Loud mouth has dreams way bigger than he can ever achieve. _

He turned to the pink haired girl who was sitting way to close to the stoic Uchiha.

"How about you pinky?"

She blushed, "I'm Haruno Sakura, my likes are…" she glanced at Sasuke and her blush darkened. "I only have one dislike, and that's one person. But my aspiration is to become a skilled medic nin."

Kakashi didn't miss the way the male part of his team seemed to turn to Sakura with narrowed eyes.

_Perhaps she dislikes a certain person who means a lot to these two? Hmmm…._

He turned to Sasuke, "How about you?"

Sasuke folded his hands beneath his chin and gave their new sensei a flat look, "Uchiha Sasuke, my likes are my own business, my dislikes are the same, and my aspiration is to grow and surpass certain persons."

Kakashi nodded, absorbing his answer. He smiled once more and clapped his hands together, "Now that was fun! That's all for today! Meet me at training ground seven tomorrow morning at six AM. Don't eat." he gave them a flat look, "you'll only throw it up."

With that final parting statement he poofed from their company.

Naruto jumped to his feet and folded his hands behind his head, "Well, I'm going to check on Kagome. Later!"

He jumped over the edge of the building and left his other two team mates alone.

Sakura glared at his empty seat for a moment before turning to Sasuke. He was getting to his feet, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"So, Sasuke-kun. You want to go train today?"

He looked over at her and Sakura saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes before they dulled back. Though that small flicker was enough to give her hope.

Little did she know the emotion was not what she wanted.

Sasuke hned, "We should train on our own for today, seeing as we will be doing nothing but training together for the next several years."

Sakura felt her hopes come crashing down but could only nod as Sasuke jumped off the building just as Naruto had. Her hands balled into a fist.

She knew where he was going.

_She's not his team mate! I am! And you will not come between us, Higurashi Kagome! I'll make sure of that!_

Her resolve strengthened, she stood and followed their lead, though instead of going home she ran through the village. Even if she knew it was where he was going, she had to be sure.

When she saw the Higurashi house her heart dropped. She had been right. Both he and Naruto stood outside, sour expressions on their faces, as Kunloon told the pair that no, Kagome was not home, and that her sensei had said not to expect her home until the following night.

"Who trains a new team mate all night though?"

Kunloon smiled at Naruto's obvious displeasure, "Jakotsu is a very good sensei. He will not steer her wrong."

Sasuke just scowled before bowing to the older woman and leaving.

Sakura, though, was doing a silent jig. Kagome's new sensei meant business, and if her first session with him was anything to go by, then she would be gone a lot.

_This is just perfect! Now while she's off training I can get Sasuke to see how much better I am! _

The ever delusional genin disappeared from the trees before she could be found and ran back to her home. She would need to prepare for the next morning.

…

The sun crept up into the sky, showing it was becoming the after noon. Team seven remained at their assigned training grounds, exhausted already from having to wait six hours for their sensei.

Naruto stood and stretched, "To hell with this. I'm going home."

Sakura groaned, "Just shut up and sit down!"

Naruto rolled his shoulders back, "Why? Apparently he forgot all about us!"

"I wouldn't go as far to say I forgot, Naruto."

A cloud of smoke engulfed one of the three wooden stumps erected in the center of the training field. Their late sensei sat atop it, his little orange book held out in front of him.

"Hello."

Naruto glared and pointed at him, "What the hell Kakashi-sensei! You're six hours late!"

Kakashi snapped his book closed and rubbed the back of his head, "Well, I have a very good reason for it."

Naruto crossed his arms, "It better be good."

Kakashi grinned, "Well you see, I awoke this morning to find that I had a black cat sitting on my window sill."

Naruto dead panned, "You're six hours late because of a cat?"

Kakashi nodded, "Black cats are a very bad omen. I decided to go back to bed and try waking up once more."

Sasuke 'hned, "Shall we get this over with?"

Sakura nodded, "Yea."

Kakashi nodded and hopped down from the stump. Reaching into his pocket he pulled put a duel set of bells.

"You will have to retrieve these from me. As you can see, there are only two." he tied the bells to his belt, "the two that retrieve the bells will pass and be able to eat. While the others will immediately fail and be sent back to the academy. Am I understood?"

They each nodded and Kakashi's mood darkened, "But I must warn you. You will have to come at me with the intent to kill. Because if you do not, you will not pass."

They each stiffened, realizing what he was saying. Naruto chuckled, "Well that should be easy!"

He rushed forward and Kakashi rolled his eyes. In an instant he disappeared, causing Naruto's punch to hit air. He toppled and Kakashi reappeared behind him.

Naruto had no room to dodge as Kakashi went down on one knee and twined his fingers together.

"Thousand years of pain jutsu!"

He then thrust forward, touching Naruto's rectum, and sending the shinobi flying off.

"I didn't say begin yet!"

He turned to the others and smiled once more, "Begin."

In an instant they were gone. Kakashi grinned and opened his book once more.

_Lets get this over with. _

…

Forty five minutes later found Uchiha Sasuke buried to his neck in dirt, Haruno Sakura wondering around in the after effects of Kakashi's jutsu, and Uzumaki Naruto not to be found.

Sasuke began to move his shoulders, trying to find a weakness in his soil prison. Closing his eyes he sighed and tried to move different muscles, swearing if he ever got out of this, he would find his silver haired teacher and put him in a realm of pain he had never felt.

He felt something soft brushing his face and opened his eyes. Standing in front of him, its little pink nose sniffing him was a snow white rabbit. Its whiskers flickered with each one of its sniffs and Sasuke glared at it.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?"

The rabbit didn't answer him as its ears perked up. It looked off to the right before darting away, moving faster than he had ever seen a rabbit move before in his life.

A second later the trees parted revealing a huffing male. His hair stuck out from his tight braid and a look of irritation crossed his face as he looked around. His blue eyes landed on Sasuke and the buried Uchiha glared back. The boy smirked and walked over to him before kneeling down.

"Hey. You see a bunny run by here?"

He nodded, still glaring, and he sighed, "Which way?"

He motioned to the east and he grumbled something under his breath before turning over his shoulder.

"Oi! It went this way!"

Seconds later two other people came through the underbrush looking equally disheveled.

"I…Hate…Rabbits."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his female friend as she glared in the direction the bunny had just disappeared in, "Are you sure its illegal to kill it?"

The male at her side sighed and nodded, "Their his pets. He'll get pissed if we kill it."

She grumbled and looked down. Her eyes lit up for a moment as she noticed him buried.

"Hey Sasuke. Why are you buried?"

He gave her a flat look, though he couldn't hide the pleased glint in his eyes. Even though they had only been separated for a day, he had missed her.

"Kakashi buried me."

Kagome laughed and shook her head, "Wish I could stay and help, but I have a bunny to catch."

She took off in the direction of the rabbit while the other two remained behind, shaking their heads.

"That's the fastest rabbit he owns."

The long haired male turned to the other and smirked, "yea, well, I think she's faster."

The male shook his head, "Maybe. We have been wearing it down all night."

He nodded and turned in the direction Kagome had just disappeared into. They heard a triumphant shout a moment before Kagome came walking back towards them, a squirming rabbit held outstretched from her body. Mud caked her face and Sasuke could see a few new twigs sticking from her hair, but she looked happy.

"Caught you! You little bastard!"

The male gave a whooping laugh, "Come on! Before time runs out!"

She nodded, the rabbit still held in a death grip, before turning back to Sasuke, "Sorry I cant help you. But I'm sure this is some profound lesson."

She began to walk away but not before throwing a smile over her shoulder, "If you and Naruto have the time later, I'll be down by the river."

He nodded and watched as she and her new team mates walked off. He would need to ask her just why exactly she was chasing after a bunny.

…"Oh come on! This is so unfair!"

Naruto squirmed were he was tied, upside down, to one of the posts. Sakura sat on one side of him, an open bento in front of her. Sasuke sat on the other, his lunch untouched. He couldn't believe they had all failed in their attempts to outsmart their sensei.

Though, one good thing had come out of today.

He had seen Kagome.

Smirking to himself he looked over at Naruto. Sure they had already failed anyway, and seeing no reason Naruto shouldn't eat, he pulled a kunai from his pocket and cut the ropes that held him.

Naruto tumbled down and landed none to gracefully on his head. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the stream of curses that came from the blondes mouth before opening his bento and sliding it towards Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun! What are you doing?"

He gave Sakura a flat look, "We've already failed," _and Kagome will kill me if she knew I ate in front of him. _

"That doesn't mean you should go behind Kakashi-sensei's back! He said Naruto wasn't supposed to eat!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes once more, "Does it really matter?"

Sakura gave an unsure look before sighing and sliding her lunch as well over to Naruto, "here."

He gave them each an appreciative smile before digging in.

"You three!"

They each jumped as the booming voice rang through the clearing. Naruto gulped and watched as Kakashi walked up to them, apparently pissed off.

"You three…" his one visible eye flared to life before it crinkled as he smiled, "Pass!"

Each of the shinobi deadpanned. He grinned at each of them, "you are the first team to ever pass. Congratulations!"

Naruto seemed to regain his composure quicker than the others, "We…passed?"

Kakashi nodded, "Though you did not work as a team in the beginning you pulled through in the end! I am so proud!"

He glanced up at the sky, "Well, that does it for today. I am sure you all have things you want to do."

He gave them a little wave before poofing away. Sasuke rolled his eyes and pulled his half eaten bento back to him.

…

Kagome had never felt so relaxed in her life.

Once she had given Jakotsu back his rabbit, _damn that creature to the darkest part of hell!, _she had gone back home, took a hasty shower, and shoved on her swim suit. So the day before had turned into a big fiasco, so what if she wasn't on Naruto's and Sasuke's team. It didn't mean they wouldn't remain friends. Just a little more competitive, that's all.

She continued to float, the gentle current of the river pulling her down stream slightly. She paddled her hands beneath her, keeping her body in the center of the current. If she wasn't careful she would end up falling asleep and be lost down stream.

A gentle splashing sound caused her to look up, her body sinking lower into the water. Sasuke stood on the outer bank, a pair of black and red swim trunks adorned his body. He stood about thigh deep in the water, his arms crossed over his bare chest as he watched her with a slightly bored expression.

She found her eyes running down his front, tracing the way the muscles contorted beneath his skin. She had never noticed before but Sasuke was quite muscular for someone his age.

A light blush tinted her cheeks and she immediately laid her head back down. The cool water made the rouge coloring lighter but it wouldn't force the blood away from her face.

_Was I just checking Sasuke out? No. Never. That would just be weird!_

She felt the water stir around her and rolled her head over. Sasuke had swam out to her position in the water and now he softly treaded water beside her. His hair clung to the back of his neck and shoulders, giving him a relaxed look. She smiled at him and had the strongest urge to run her fingers through his hair.

"I see you made it."

He nodded and flipped over onto his back. Laying his head across her stomach they began to float together.

"Did you tell Naruto we were here?"

He nodded again and Kagome could feel the gentle currents he stirred beneath them with his arms.

"He said he would be by later. He wanted to get some training in."

Kagome nodded and sighed. Sasuke rolled his head so that he could look up her body.

"Can I ask why you were chasing a rabbit this afternoon?"

Kagome's relaxed expression turned to a scowl, "Stupid bunny. My new sensei wanted to test my speed. There were five to begin with and it took us all damn night to find them."

Sasuke grinned, "You must be tired then."

Kagome shrugged, but a yawn betrayed her callous attitude.

Sasuke merely chuckled, relaxing for the first time in what felt like weeks. It had been a while since he had gotten to spend any true one on one time with her. He had been training non stop it felt like, just trying to become perfect.

And then Kakashi shows up and blew it all away.

He rolled back to look at the sky, a slight frown on his face.

As if sensing his change in mood Kagome moved to run her fingers softly through his hair. He closed his eyes, relaxing completely in her touch.

"So how is your sensei?"

Sasuke grunted, "Sloppy."

Kagome chuckled, her nails scratching softly at his scalp, "Better than having a crazy cross dresser I suppose."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Cross dresser?"

Kagome sighed and nodded, the water sloshing beneath her head, "Oh yea. Jakotsu looks just like a woman. And if I didn't know any better I would say he was one."

Sasuke chuckled once more before they fell into comfortable silence.

May it have been moments, or perhaps hours later, Naruto finally arrived. He interrupted their silent float by jumping from one of the trees that shadowed the river, effectively rocking them both with the after shock of his cannon ball.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and lifted from Kagome just before she sank beneath the water.

When she resurfaced, sputtering, Naruto laughed full out and swam over to them.

"This was a great idea, Gome-chan."

She nodded and splashed him, "It was until you decided to ruin my peaceful moment."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, still smiling.

"So how was your day, Naruto?"

His smile slipped from his face and Sasuke resisted the urge to grin.

"Horrid. And yours?"

Sasuke did smile at that, "She hates rabbits."

Kagome scowled, "Especially snow rabbits. Damn those little beasts."

Naruto looked back and forth between the two, "What did I miss?"

Kagome grumbled and sunk beneath the water.

…

**Yes, yes, I know. Shorter than the others. But I thought I could leave you all with the sweet little scene between Sasuke and Kagome. What do you all think of her team? It kind of just came to me. Tell me what you think! Oh and come on people! I see a lot of you adding my story to your update list, but you aren't reviewing! How can you deny that cute little button? Please review. Pretty, pretty, PRETTY please?**


	7. Prospect of Soulmates

Another sweet little chapter…Well…If you can call an insane sensei sweet! And I'm not talking about Kakashi!

Disclaimer- ::Shakes head somberly::

"Just sit still Naruto!"

He squirmed as Kagome held a cotton ball up to his face once more. He could smell the alcohol she had dabbed on it and flinched even before she touched it to his face.

"Dammit Kagome! That hurts!"

Kagome smiled softly as she tried to clean the many cuts that covered Naruto's face. "Are you sure this was a cat? Looks more like you got into a fight with a lawnmower and lost. Horribly."

Naruto huffed and nodded, "I hate that stupid cat!"

Sasuke merely rolled his eyes and watched while Kagome continued to clean the cuts that littered Naruto. Truthfully they both should have been training, but when they had finished the mission, they had left.

He could still remember the outraged look on Sakura's face as they ran from Hokage tower.

_What does she expect? I mean, there is no possible way she will ever be more than an annoyance to me. Let alone my girlfriend._

He shuddered at that thought, causing Kagome to look over at him with slight concern, "You ok Sasuke?"

He nodded and she shrugged before going back to cleaning Naruto's cuts.

"I'm almost done, you big baby!"

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Kagome rolled her eyes and finished dabbing at the cuts before she smiled.

"See, that wasn't so bad now was it?"

He snorted and leaned back until he was prone against the ground, "So how have your missions been going Kagome?"

She laughed harshly, "I cant call what we have been doing missions. Its all just menial tasks. Like the other day we had to baby sit this bunch of kids." she shuddered at the thought as she began to organize her first aid kit, "Lets just say I'll be having nightmares about it for a while."

Naruto chuckled and folded his hands behind his head, "Yea. I mean, this is all so pointless. Its not like hunting down missing cats or babysitting is helping us as ninja!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and got a little bit more comfortable against the tree as he prepared for Naruto's tirade.

"We should be doing stuff outside the village ya know? Like hunting down stray shinobi or running messages from one village to the other! Not this crap!"

Kagome sighed and stood up, brushing off her clothing, "Why don't you go tell the Hokage what you think?"

Naruto's eyes snapped open as he stared up at Kagome. She raised an eyebrow, "What did I say?"

He jumped to his feet and grabbed her. Sasuke felt something inside of him twitch and he had to fight against the urge to jump up and smack Naruto.

He set Kagome back on her feet and did something that neither Kagome nor Sasuke expected. He kissed her on the cheek.

Sasuke glared at the blonde and Kagome's eyes widened. Naruto just laughed.

"You are absolutely brilliant Kagome!"

She nodded, still in shock, as Naruto took off. Sasuke glared at the back of his head until he was nothing more than a speck in the distance. If he didn't think Kagome would probably hit him, he would have lit the blonde on fire.

For some strange reason, he did not like Naruto laying his lips anywhere near Kagome.

She shook herself out of her shock and came to sit beside Sasuke, "That was really weird."

Sasuke shot a glance at her and what he saw made his inner irate calm slightly. She looked more surprised by his action then like she had enjoyed it. She shook her head once more before leaning against the tree.

Sasuke smirked and leaned back as well, the silence that stretched between them enjoyable. It was just that way with him and Kagome. They didn't need to say anything, just the closeness of the other person was enough. His eyes drifted closed as he completely relaxed.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop them, a look of contentment passing over her face.

"Have you ever thought about the concept of soul-mates?"

Her question caught him off guard. His eyes opened and her turned to look at her. Kagome didn't turn to look at him, her half lidded eyes staring out at the space in front of them.

"What do you mean?"

She turned her head so she could look at him without lifting her chin from her knees. Her smile was soft and her eyes held no scorn. Just simple curiosity.

"Like the fact that there is one special person foe everyone. One that will complete them, give them everything they could ever want or need."

He raised an eyebrow, "You've been talking to Neji again, haven't you?"

She chuckled, "No, silly. I was just curious. My Kaa-san said that her and my Tou-san were soul mates." her smile was soft as she turned from him, "I've always dreamed of having that for myself. To have someone love me, and to love someone so much, that there could never be another."

Sasuke watched as an unknown emotion flashed across her face before it disappeared. Silence fell between them, he watching her, her watching the village. Her question had thrown him off. He had, truthfully, never thought of possibly having a soul-mate. Not that he had never thought of marrying someone, or having children. But a soul-mate, someone that you loved more than anything, had never been added to that equation. But now that he thought about it, the concept wasn't so strange. To be able to love someone with everything you had, to willingly give your life for them, and to know that they wouldn't hesitate to do the same, was an almost warming thought.

Kagome chuckled softly, bringing him out of his inner musings, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's a silly question, I know."

Sasuke shook his head and leaned back once more against the tree, "Its not a silly question Kagome."

She rolled her head once again to look at him and a small smile curled his lips, "I just think is has more than one question in it. Like does fate decide who your soul mate is, or do you?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and straightened, "Leave it to you to be all philosophical."

He smirked, "Well, let me give an answer of some kind."

She leaned back against the tree, still listening.

"I cant say that I believe that there is something out there that dictates who we fall in love with, but if you do find that one special person, then yes, it is possible to have a soul-mate."

She smiled and closed her eyes, "That's all I wanted to know."

He nodded as they fell into silence once more.

He felt her lean against his shoulder, "Sasuke?"

"Another question?"

She giggled, "This one is simpler than the other."

He rolled his eyes but laid his head down on top of hers, "Your questions are never simple."

She huffed playfully, "Fine, then I wont ask."

He sighed, "Ask."

She smirked and nuzzled against his shoulder, "Do you think it will always be like this?"

Again he question caught him off guard. But he took a moment to think about it again. Kagome's slight weight against his shoulder comforted him in some odd way, while the smell of her hair made his stomach knot up. He couldn't say it was an uncomfortable feeling, on the contrary, it made him want to wrap his arms around her and hold her tighter. He had been starting to notice this feeling more and more and it came at the oddest times. Sometimes, when she smiled at him, he felt like his tongue had swollen three times its actual size and he couldn't speak. When she laughed, truly laughed, it made his knees feel like gelatin.

He couldn't say that he hated it though.

Instead of delving all this information to her, because Sasuke was sure she would look at him like he was crazy, he simply sighed and closed his eyes once more.

"I hope so Kagome." he whispered loud enough for her to hear him, "I really do."

She smiled and nodded, "So do I."

He smiled as they fell once again into silence, listening to the sound of life around them.

"Oh! There you are Kagome-chan!"

He heard her sigh before she straightened, their peaceful moment ruined. Bounding towards them was her team mate, his hand held up in greeting.

Kagome rolled her eyes and smiled as she got to her feet, "Hey Bankotsu-kun. What's up?"

He came to a halt in front of her and smiled down at her, "Jakotsu-sensei sent me to find you. Says he wants to do some more speed training this afternoon."

Kagome groaned and rubbed her temples, "We just did speed training!"

Bankotsu smirked at Kagome and Sasuke felt the muscle in his jaw tighten. For some strange reason he didn't like the way the boy was smiling at Kagome. After all, he was her team mate, so in retrospect he had every right to smile at her but still…

Sasuke didn't like it.

But when Kagome turned back to him and gave him a small yet dazzling smile his insides felt like they were burning and freezing at the same time. It wasn't painful, but he couldn't say he enjoyed it either. It was confusing to say the least.

Her team mate seemed to notice her smile as well and turned to Sasuke who was still sitting. A small mischievous smile crossed his face before he turned fully to Sasuke and extended his hand.

"I'm Sebon Bankotsu. Nice to meet you."

Sasuke got slowly to his feet and clasped the other boys hand. He put a little more force than necessary into the hand shake, but was pleased none the less when the boy winced slightly.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Bankotsu nodded and the smile reappeared on his face, "Well, we must be going. Jakotsu gets a little irate when we take to long."

Sasuke nodded and turned to Kagome. When their eyes connected he saw a slight blush dust over her cheeks. All of a sudden she did something Sasuke wasn't used to her doing. She fidgeted, pushing her hair behind her ear, and looked down at her feet.

It reminded him a lot of when Hinata looked at Naruto.

"See you later Sasuke?"

He nodded and watched as she turned quickly and walked away. He watched her until he could no longer make out her form before allowing a wry smile to curl his lips.

Maybe having a soul-mate wasn't such a hard thought after all.

…

Kagome and Bankotsu walked in silence. Though the inside of her mind was anything but. How had she never noticed the way Sasuke's eyes seem to smolder? Like just behind them burned embers, just waiting to set her ablaze? For some reason though the thought of being consumed by the fire she saw with in those dark depths didn't frighten her. No, it did just the opposite. It caused her stomach to knot and her heart to flutter like a small bird trapped within. She could feel the heat rush back to her cheeks at the thought, a small smile curling her face.

"So, it was great to finally meet your boyfriend."

Kagome was snapped from her thoughts by Bankotsu's off handed comment. She sputtered for a moment before composing herself and managed to level him with a glare even while her cheeks blazed.

"He's not my boyfriend."

Bankotsu chuckled, "Really? Well, from what I just saw, you're either lying, or he really wants to be."

Kagome's eyes widened and she felt the flutter in her stomach come back ten fold, "How can you tell?"

Bankotsu chuckled, "I can just tell these things. Like the way his posture was towards you and the way he looked at you."

Kagome looked down at her feet in attempts to hide the blood rushing to her face, "Its not like that with Sasuke."

Bankotsu laughed out right, "Yea, and I'm not temperamental, Miroku's not a pervert, and Inuyasha's not an ass. Face it Kags," he smirked down at her, "that boy is falling hard with out him even knowing it. And so are you."

Kagome's foot caught the ground and she nearly fell forward, the shock of Bankotsu's blatant statement catching her off guard. He caught her before she could face plant and laughed as she tried to force the blood from her face.

"Walk much?"

She glared at him before forcing his hands away from her, "Lets just get there."

Bankotsu chuckled again and walked behind the fuming girl.

…

Sasuke was thoroughly enjoying his walk. Sure, he may not of had Kagome with him, but her absence made the fluttering in him stop, giving him ample time to think.

But then, Uchiha Sasuke didn't get to be alone.

Giggling. The insistent giggling! He turned and watched the girls over his shoulder. He would have thought with everyone being placed in teams they would find different things to fill their days.

But no…

They still managed to follow him around and giggle any time he would look at them.

Resisting the urge to glare at them he continued his walk but quickened his pace. He heard them following him and felt his inner ire rise. Could they not get the hint?

Before he realized it he was running. Some how though, they were keeping up. Thinking fast he ducked behind a building and quickly conjured a clone.

Pushing the unsuspecting clone out of his hiding spot he nearly laughed at the comical expression that crossed its face. Clone Sasuke took off a moment before a horde of screaming fan girls ran by his hiding spot.

Shaking his head Sasuke leaned against the wall. He swore if he had one, just one, more girl walk up to him and admit undying love, he would gut them.

"There you are teme!"

Sasuke's head snapped up as Naruto came jumping from the roof above him.

"Dobe."

Naruto chuckled, "See, usually I would pummel you into the ground for that-"

Sasuke crossed his arms, "I would like to see you try."

"-but today is a special day!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "You get another free bowl of ramen coupon?"

Naruto folded his hands behind his head, "Better! I got us a mission outside the village!"

Sasuke raised a eyebrow, "How?"

Naruto grinned, "Turns out the old man has finally accepted that my skills of a ninja are growing!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, _more like you annoyed him to the point he would do anything to be rid of you._

"When do we leave?""Tomorrow morning. Hey, do you know where Kagome went? I wanna tell her!"

Sasuke shrugged, "No."

Naruto sighed and nodded. Sasuke wasn't sure why he lied to him, but some how the thought of Naruto being alone with Kagome left a bad taste in his mouth. All he could see was the blondes lips on her cheek. His hand twitched, wondering how fast he could cut said appendages off before Naruto even realized what was going on.

Perhaps he should go to a medic? Surely thoughts like this weren't normal. After all, Naruto was her best friend. It was none of his business what she and Naruto did.

Naruto sighed, "So, you see Sakura recently?"Sasuke inwardly shuddered, "No, and I hope not to."

Naruto chuckled, "She's determined. Gotta give her that much."

Sasuke scowled, _perhaps I should have made her into a pin cushion._

Naruto sighed and began to walk away, "So, I'm going home to get everything packed. See ya, teme!"

Sasuke didn't respond as Naruto disappeared.

…

It was early morning when they all met. The man they were meant to 'escort' stood between them, smelling of sweat and old booze. Sasuke scrunched his nose and made a mental note to stay up wind from him.

Sakura idled up next to him, smiling softly, "You look nice today, Sasuke-kun."

He hned and ignored her.

Kakashi stood in front of them, gazing at each of them in a bored matter.

"We ready?"

They nodded, and Kakashi shrugged his pack onto his shoulders, "Lets go."

They began their slow trek away from the village, Sasuke trying his best to put distance between himself and Sakura. He suddenly found himself missing his raven haired friend. Somehow when she was around Sakura seemed to disappear.

"Wait a second!"

The group paused at the sound of the female voice. Sighing Kakashi glanced into the trees above them just as the leaves rustled.

"Hello Higurashi. Were you able to escape Jakotsu?"

Kagome seemed out of breath, her face covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Naruto laughed and waved up to her while Sasuke simply offered a small smile. Sakura though seemed to take her sudden appearance as a threat and glared up at her.

"What do you want Higurashi? Cant you see we have a mission?"

Kagome merely smiled and leaped down from the tree, "Look, I've only got a couple of minutes, so bear with me for a moment pinky."

Sakura's eyes widened at her obvious insult to her hair color, "What did you say shrimpy?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and stuck her hands into her pockets, "Oh pipe down. I was only kidding."

She pulled identical silver chains from her pocket, the metal catching the light and making them shine. Smiling she motioned for Sasuke to come to her.

He rolled his eyes and stepped forward, "Yes, Kagome?"

A slight blush dotted her cheeks as she smiled at him, "Lean down here for a minute."

He raised an eyebrow but did as she asked. He felt her small fingers brush over the top of his head as she placed one of the chains around his throat.

"There."

He raised an eyebrow and looked down at the tiny charm attached to the chain. To his immense surprise it was an exact replica of the Uchiwa fan he wore on the back of his clothing.

"I told you I would make it up to you for buying me lunch. It took a little while longer, but with the help of my Sofu, I think we got it just right."

He nodded and looked down at her, his eyes shining with amusement, "Why did you choose an Uchiwa fan?"

Kagome shrugged and held out the other chain and motioned for Naruto to come to her, "I always see you wearing it and I thought you liked it."

She placed the other chain around Naruto's throat, his charm a small fire ball. Sighing she turned back to Sasuke and her expression was more somber than before.

"If you don't like it I can make another one. I just thought-"

He cut her off by shaking his head and placing the chain beneath his shirt, "I was just curious as to why you would give me one. I mean, in the Uchiha clan, it is customary for a male to give one to a female."

She cocked her head to the side, curious now, "Whys that?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but their charge decided he had had enough waiting.

"Come on! We don't have time for you to sit and chit chat with your girlfriend! I gotta bridge to build!'

Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked down at Kagome who was rubbing the back of her head, a slight blush painting her face once again. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, I just-"

A crashing sound came from behind them, causing Kagome to jump and her head to snap in the direction. Sasuke watched as she visibly paled.

"That's my cue! Gotta go!"

She waved to them before zipping off into the trees.

Seconds later what appeared to be a woman came running through the underbrush, a wicked looked sword held over her shoulder. She smiled at the group.

"Did you see a girl run by here? About five foot, black hair, dark eyes? Probably looked scared shit less?"

Kakashi chuckled, "She went that way Jakotsu."

Jakotsu beamed and saluted the other sensei before cupping his hands around his mouth, "Come out come out where ever you are Kagome! You know I'm going to catch y~ou!"

Jakotsu went silent, cupping his hand around his ear, before grinning.

"Gotcha!"

He flung his sword out, causing the genin and the bridge builder to jump. Kakashi merely shook his head as the blade unfurled and went shooting off into the underbrush.

They heard a startled yelp and Jakotsu laughed before retracting his blade, "Keep running Kagome! Else my Jakotsuto will shred you to bits!"

When the blade was fully retracted and back to its sinisterly curved form he turned to Kakashi and gave him a slight wave.

"Ja-ne Kakashi-kun. Have a good trip! I have a little lost lamb to catch!"

With that said he took off into the trees, laughing manically. They heard another startled outcry and Sasuke nearly took off after him. Kagome had said her sensei was insane, but from what the young Uchiha saw, he seemed to be trying to kill her!

A solid hand on his shoulder stopped him though and he looked up to see Kakashi staring off into the direction Kagome and Jakotsu had just departed.

"She'll be fine. If anyone can get her to advance then its Jakotsu."

Sasuke eyes narrowed but Kakashi merely smiled, "Lets go."

Sasuke nodded but sent one final glare in the direction Jakotsu and Kagome had disappeared into. He sent out a silent threat, promising to cut Jakotsu into small bits and feed him to the fish if Kagome had a single cut when he got back.

Naruto, deciding to not be so silent in his concern, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Gome-chan! Don't let him catch you!"

A black blur shot back through the trees and landed on the branch she had originally arrived on. Sasuke did a quick sweep of her appearance and noticed a small cut bleeding freely on her cheek. His hand snapped to a tight fist, a scowl marring his face.

She waved to them, her face pulled into a tight smile, "I pretty much assumed that Naruto!"

Rustling below startled her and with out warning Jakotsu's blades snaked out from the underbrush. Kagome cursed and did a quick flurry of hand seals. A popping sound resonated through the air as smoke surrounded her just when the blades were about to strike. Sasuke tensed, his eyes trained on the smoke.

When it cleared his eyes widened.

Kagome stood on the tree branch, her face scrunched in concentration, her hands held before her in a complex seal. In front of her, suspended in what appeared to be dragons mouth protruding from the wood, Jakotsu's blades trembled. Kagome sighed and darted away before the jutsu disappeared.

"Did she just-"

Kakashi's eyebrows raised as he stared in the direction the young girl had come in, "Yes, Naruto. That was a high level defensive move."

He shook his head and turned away from his team, "Alright, enough entertainment, Lets get a move on."

Sasuke blinked a few times before turning to his sensei and following suit. He had no clue how or when Kagome had learned such a technique, but he no longer feared for her life. Pride swelled within his chest and he forced himself not to smirk.

He heard Sakura snort beside them, "Thinks she so amazing…Just showing off…Bet Sasuke-kun wasn't even paying attention….Show her when I get back…"

Sasuke tuned her out but made a silent note, _watch Sakura when we get back. _

"Wow! Why didn't I get her team to escort me?"

Sasuke sighed and attempted to ignore the builders outbursts.

Naruto idled up beside him, his hands clasped behind his head, "Gome-chan has gotten stronger."

Sasuke hned, "I have eyes, dobe."

Naruto chuckled, fingering the little charm around his neck, "So why is it customary for a boy to give a girl a Uchiwa fan, Sasuke?"

The young Uchiha merely smirked, the little charm bouncing against his chest with every step.


	8. Capture the Flag

So here is the beloved chapter nine! I know it has been a while, (a lot longer than I promised) but if any of you have read my notices you know that I have been very very busy! I hope I still have all mot reviewers out there! Again, I apologize so greatly about the delay!

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that the manga/anime mentioned below (both of them) are the sole rights of their creators.

The gentle gurgle of running water, usually so soothing to the genin female, was lost in the turmoil of thoughts running through her mind.

Naruto and Sasuke had been gone a few hours and Kagome was already feeling down. With out her two companions, she didn't know what to do with herself. Usually by this time Naruto and Sasuke had escaped from their sensei and had come to find her.

But not today.

Today was the first day of their out of village mission.

And she was already lonesome.

_Man am I pathetic. They've been gone mere hours and already I'm lost with out them. This sucks! _

Sighing she gazed down at the crystalline water below her. Her perch extended over the water, suspending her just over the bank of the river. The branch bowed only slightly with her weight, rocking her back and forth with the passing breeze. She wasn't hiding per say. But the fire had dulled in her after giving her gifts to Naruto and Sasuke that morning. Jakotsu had tried to continue their training, but when his sword had nearly wrapped around her on several occasions he decided to call it quits for the day. He may have been sadistic, but he didn't want to kill her.

Not on accident, at least.

Kagome sighed again and brought her legs to her chest. In the back of her mind she knew she should have been training. But the idea didn't sit right. She didn't want to train.

She wanted her boys back.

"Kagome-chan!"

Rolling her dark eyes she cocked her head to the side, gazing down at the base of her tree. Bankotsu stood there, a skewer jutting from his lips. In his hand was a small plate, another skewer sitting in the center, but this one still holding the sweet dumplings that her team mate seemed addicted to.

"What are you doing out here all alone?"

She sighed once more and shrugged. Bankotsu rolled his eyes and began to eat the other sweet dumplings. When Kagome fell silent once again he sighed and rolled his eyes. Finishing his sweets, he crumpled the plate. With one leap he landed on the branch she was sitting on. Standing behind her he took a moment to study his distraught team mate. This was very possibly the quietest he had ever seen her. She seemed distant, depressed even.

_And they haven't even been gone a day!_

Rolling his eyes once more, Bankotsu knelt behind her and pocked her in the back of the head. When she didn't respond his eyes narrowed and he did it once more, this time with more force. Her muscles tensed, but she still didn't do anything.

Bankotsu's lips pursed together, not liking the fact that his youngest team mate was ignoring his attempts to make her feel better. Damn it! It wasn't like he was always this overly helpful! The least she could do was _acknowledge_ him!

Irritated now, Bankotsu poked her once more, but this time with a little more force than before. Kagome, who wasn't fully _balanced _on the tree limb, was propelled forward. Though the motion was slight, it was just enough to unbalance the genin the rest of the way and send her tumbling in to the river below.

Bankotsu stood on the tree branch, eyes wide, as Kagome fell towards the water. Surprised by the initial loss of balance, she didn't have time to think before hitting the water with a large splash.

She sunk to the bottom of the slowly moving river before she was able to right herself. Opening her eyes she looked up through the water. Kicking off the bottom she resurfaced to the sound of deep laughter.

Bankotsu was still perched on her forcefully abandoned tree limb, laughing so hard he had to support himself against the tree itself. Kagome glared up at him and pushed herself over to the river bank.

"What the heck did you do that for, jerk?!"Bankotsu continued to laugh, unable to speak yet. Kagome grumbled something unintelligent as she pulled herself from the water. Ringing out her hair, she shot her team mate a heated glare as he got his laughter under control enough to jump down from the tree.

"I didn't mean to!"Kagome crossed her arms, her clothing sagging slightly from the extra water weight, "Yea, sure you didn't!"

Bankotsu leaned against the tree, continuing to laugh, tears running from the corner of his eyes from the force.

Kagome scoffed and stuck her nose in the air, "What are you doing here anyway?"

Bankotsu took a deep breath and forced his laughter under control, though it was still in his voice when he spoke.

"Jakotsu sent me to find you. He wanted to make sure that you weren't still pouting over the fact that your boyfriend was gone for a few days."

Kagome's eyes widened as he cheeks flared with color and heat.

"Sasuke is not my boyfriend!"

Bankotsu grinned, "Who said it was Sasuke?"Kagome opened her mouth to retort but snapped it shut immediately at the look Bankotsu shot her.

Instead of speaking Kagome scoffed and began to walk away from the river. Bankotsu shook his head and quickly caught up to her side, forcing himself not to laugh at the squelching sound her sandals made with every step she took.

"So how did your private training session go this morning?"

Kagome shrugged, "OK I guess. I was able to perform one of the nature defense tactics Jakotsu was trying to teach us."

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow, "Really?"Kagome nodded and pushed her hair off her forehead, unaware that her team mate was eyeing her curiously. The only nature defensive techniques Jakotsu had shown them had been high level jutsu. Bankotsu himself had tried the jutsu and had failed, the chakra control required far beyond his ability at this point in training. But Kagome, being two years younger then he, was stating that she had performed it just that morning?

_She should be utterly exhausted, any genin would be after just attempting that jutsu . How is she still up and walking around, then, if she was able to perform it?_Shaking his head, Bankotsu didn't voice his questions. There were reasons Jakotsu had taken on the younger female when their other team mate had failed to meet his expectations. He had never questioned his sensei, but Bankotsu had personally seen Kagome's training sessions with Inuyasha. She had portrayed skill, but nothing in the caliber Jakotsu sought in his students. So it had been a curiosity to him when his sensei chose to train her with them.

Now he was starting to understand.

Kagome sighed and folded her hands behind her head, "So what do you wanna do now?"

Bankotsu shrugged, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind for now. He would analyze them later, after he had more time to really watch Kagome and actually study her skill levels.

"We should probably go find Miroku and Jakotsu. They were training when I was sent to find you."

Kagome chuckled, "You left him alone? Poor Miroku."

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow, "Is that pity I hear? For that perv?"

Kagome shook her head, "But even he doesn't deserve that."

Bankotsu chuckled, "You wouldn't be feeling sorry for him if you had been on the receiving end of his 'wandering' hands."

Kagome laughed full out then, "Well, he's still my team mate, regardless. Lets go."

…

Miroku hung upside down, apparently wrapped from ankle to shoulders in a bandage like substance. Jakotsu sat under the tree he was suspended from, flipping through a magazine, his blade leaning against the trunk next to him. Kagome and Bankotsu stood below their trapped team mate, both puzzled as to how he got himself trapped so securely. Jakotsu didn't offer any answer to their curious glances, merely flipping the page of his magazine and reading the next article.

Bankotsu shook his head, chuckling, "How-"

"Don't ask." Miroku interrupted, "just get me down from here."

Kagome laughed and walked over to where Jakotsu sat, "Sensei, what happened?"

Jakotsu glanced up from his article, "Huh?"

Kagome motioned to Miroku and a grin spread across her sensei's painted lips, "Oh that. Well, Miroku has yet to understand the difference from a real woman and a clone. It seems every time he sees a pair of pretty blue eyes batted at him he forgets to check for key elements. Like traps."

Miroku grumbled something and Jakotsu looked up at him, still smiling, "Maybe I should send you back like I did to Kagura?"

Miroku shook his head, "It wont happen again."

Jakotsu tapped a finger against his lips, "Hmm…I don't know."

Miroku let out a frustrated growl and began to swing back and forth, "Just give me a chance to prove differently!"Jakotsu sighed and closed his magazine, "Usually I wouldn't do this, but I don't have time to train another pupil."The cross dresser took a shirukan from with in his floral patterned kimono and threw it at the line securing Miroku to the tree above them. Kagome and Bankotsu took a step back as their team mate plummeted to the ground. Miroku landed with a solid thud and lay there motionless. Bankotsu walked over to his still bound team mate and prodded him with the toe of his sandal.

"You alive?"

Miroku groaned and Kagome rolled her eyes before turning to Jakotsu as Bankotsu began to free their team mate.

"What do you mean you don't have time?"

Jakotsu smiled, "You'll find out soon enough."

Kagome rolled her eyes once more as Jakotsu clapped his hands together, "Now that your all here and in better spirits we can start training again!"A collective groan raised from the three man squad and Jakotsu chuckled.

"Come come now. Miroku has to prove to me he doesn't need to be sent back to the academy and what better way to do that then with a group exercise!"

Bankotsu, who had the bound Miroku at least upright, muttered something under his breath towards the pervert and poked him in the chest. Miroku toppled backwards and this time Bankotsu left him there.

…

The trio followed their sensei through the forest, Kagome and Bankotsu throwing glares in Miroku's direction the entire way. Jakotsu walked out in front, whistling as he led them down the worn path.

As they rounded the corner, the sound of fighting filled the air. The group stopped just outside of a man made clearing and observed what appeared to be a sparring match.

Kagome stood between Miroku and Bankotsu, her eyes fixated on the match. The opponents were moving to quickly to get more than glances of their features, leaving her running through the mental list of people she knew to try to discerned who they might be. A flash of silver had her heart falling and her shoulders tightening.

She knew only one genin with silver hair.

They watched in silence as the other team trained. Kagome kept her eyes trained on Inuyasha even as he was no more than a blur. Slowly she slunk behind her team mates, trying to conceal herself just in case he glanced over in their direction. It wasn't that she was afraid of him, she just really didn't feel like visiting the infirmary. When Inuyasha trained he tended to get a little rough, especially with her.

Even if he had only hurt her on _accident._

Kagome had almost completely hidden herself behind her team members when Jakotsu smirked and clapped his hands around his mouth.

"Are you training or teaching these kids dance lessons, Tsubaki?"

The older woman, who had been standing off to the side observing the sparring match, turned at the sound of her name. The two sensei stared at each other across the training field in silence. Kagome watched as Jakotsu's hand twitched as if he was waiting, anticipating, the woman to attack him.

The training field became eerily quiet as Tsubaki's students realized they were no longer alone. Kagome was more than aware of the pair of eyes pointed in her direction. She met his gaze hesitantly, a small smile pulling at the edges of her mouth. His amber eyes were gentle, but an underlying emotion hid with in, one she couldn't put her finger on.

A throaty chuckle issued from Tsubaki, dispelling the silence that had taken control of the training field.

"I see your still dressing like an upper class whore."

Jakotsu chuckled, but from the way his entire framed tensed, Kagome knew that her sensei was thinking of nasty things he could do to the woman.

Crossing his arms, Jakotsu regarded the other team.

"So this is your little trio hmm? They don't seem very…competent."

Tsubaki's eyes narrowed but her smile never faltered, "Oh really? From what I hear you're the one with the under trained pupil, not I."

Her eyes rested on Kagome who was in the process of trying to blend in with the scenery.

And failing miserably.

Jakotsu glanced in his youngest team members direction before chuckling.

"Would you like to enter into a little wager then?"Tsubaki's eyebrows rose, "Oh? And what would that be?"Jakotsu licked his lips, "My three against yours. The trainers team that looses relinquishes an entire days pay."

Tsubaki grinned, "Nothing more?"

Jakotsu crossed his arms, "What would you suggest then?"Tsubaki ran her tongue over her bottom lip, "Loosing team relinquishes the right to participate in the up coming chunin exam."

The training field went silent as Jakotsu simply stared at Tsubaki. The opposing teams simply stared at their sensei, looks of shock on all but one of their faces. The youngest ninja amongst them stared in curiosity and confusion, having never heard of the chunin exams before.

The silence stretched on, thickening with each passing moment, as they awaited Jakotsu's decision. Finally with a chuckle, the cross dresser nodded.

"Done."

Tsubaki clapped her hands together, "Perfect! Now what shall the competition be? Or do you recommend a simple sparring match?"Jakotsu shook his head, "That would be far to simple. How about a game of capture the flag?"

Tsubaki nodded in agreement and turned back to her team.

Inuyasha glared at his sensei, arms crossed across his chest in defiance, "I cant believe you would risk our slot in the chunin exams for a simple competition!"Tsubaki's dark gaze settled on the silver haired nin, a cruel smile curling her lips, "Then you best not loose, Inuyasha."

He scoffed and stuck his nose in the air before turning on his heel and storming into the forest around them. His other team mates stared in his direction before silently following, not bothering to iterate how irritated they felt at their sensei's decision.

Tsubaki shot one last grin in Jakotsu's direction before following the others.

Jakotsu let out a shaky breath before turning to his own team.

"What ever you do, don't loose."

Bankotsu scoffed, "Yea, OK. No shit."

Jakotsu glared at him but Bankotsu simply rolled his eyes. He motioned for his team to follow before bounding into the forest around them.

Kagome lingered for a moment, still confused as to why everyone seemed so tense suddenly. But when Jakotsu offered no answer, and she not wanting to feel like a complete imbecile, followed her team mates direction.

Once she caught up to the others she gave them each a curious look. With out having to voice her question, Bankotsu sighed.

"The chunin exams are the test that the different villages send their genin to in order for them to advance. We were supposed to participate last year, but Jakotsu didn't feel we were ready. Which is odd, because with you being so fresh from the academy, me and Miroku had thought he would push us back another year." a grin curled his lips, "apparently you're better than we thought you were."

A small blush spread across Kagome's face even as she tried to fight it. Bankotsu chuckled and ruffled her hair slightly.

"Don't think into it to much." his tone took a somber note, "because if we loose we wont be going anywhere."

A small smile spread across her face, "Then we better not loose."

Miroku chuckled, "That's the spirit!"

Bankotsu rolled his eyes, "Alright, well, we need a strategy, and fast."

Miroku shrugged and looked at Kagome, "I thought that was the easy part. We send the youngin out. She the fastest among us with her flash step. All we need to do is stay here and protect home base."

Kagome shrugged, "Sounds fine to me. What kind of flag am I looking for?"

Bankotsu took the sash that usually held banryuu to his back and tied it to a nearby tree limb, "It will be something they had on hand. Probably a shirt or something."

Kagome nodded and stretched her hands above her head, "So when does the game start?"

An explosive sound issued from the forest behind them and both her team mates tensed.

"Now."

With a nod Kagome channeled her chakra into her feet and leaped into the trees, quickly disappearing from sight.

Bankotsu watched the area she had just disappeared into, sending a silent prayer in her wake.

_Please let her get there and back before that Taisho bastard can catch her. _

…

The forest passed around her in a whirl of green and brown as Kagome leaped from tree to tree. She threw her chakra out in small tendrils, searching for a familiar chakra signature. If she did this right, she would be able to get in and out with out being detected. And then it would simply be a race to get back to camp before their flag was found.

Something a keen to a static shock ran from the top of her spine to her tail bone, causing her to stumble and nearly fall. Righting herself, Kagome slid into the shadow of the tree she was standing in. Looking around, all senses alert, she tried to find the cause of the nearly painful experience.

"Well look what I have here."

Kagome felt every muscle in her frame stiffen at the sound of his cool voice. Cautiously she looked up and met her grinning face.

Yura stood on the branch above her. Her black gloved fingers spread out like a puppet masters, and Kagome could just barely see small blue chakra strings coming from the ends. Looking down at herself, Kagome felt like beating her head off the tree trunk. All around her the chakra tendrils wound, encasing her in a proverbial spiders web.

And Yura was the black widow ready to bite her head off.

She moved her shoulders and the shocking sensation ran through her limbs once more but this time causing actual pain. Yura grinned from her post.

"Tisk tisk. I wouldn't try to move too much if I were you. Each time you run into my chakra lines, the sensation will get stronger."

Kagome glared in the females direction while her brain worked fast. How was she going to get out of this one before Inuyasha's team had her flag secured?She flexed her hand, testing out the information Yura had given her. Sure enough another shock ran up her arm into her spine, this time with enough of a punch to knock the wind out of her.

Gasping she twitched and another shock ran through her. Yura started to laugh as she was shocked once more.

"I would remain still if I were you. Don't worry, this will be over shortly." a cruel grin curled her lips, "after all, I'm sure Koga has already acquired your flag."

Kagome glared up at her once more while her mind continued to whirl. No matter where she moved she would run into Yura's tendrils.

But there had to be away around them…

It came to her almost instantly, though the thought was not a pleasant one. The only way out of this would very likely be very painful.

Gritting her teeth, Kagome tested the chakra tendrils once more. Once more a shock ran down her spine, this time with enough force to knock the wind from her. There was no way to move with out touching Yura's trap.

So she did the only thing she could think of.

Forcing her body to obey, even while every survival instinct screamed for her to remain still, she turned towards Yura. A look of shock crossed the other females face as Kagome broke free of the snare and rushed up at her.

Yura had just enough time to release her jutsu and dive backwards as Kagome's foot connected a powerful blow to the tree where she had just been standing. Yura flipped backwards and landed nimbly on a branch lower than her previous one. Glaring she watched as Kagome went into a series of seals, her hands moving furiously trying to get the jutsu finished before Yura could escape and ensnare her once more.

Yura didn't have time to wonder what the jutsu was as Kagome finished. The tree around Yura creaked and groaned for a moment before she felt the rough bark wrap around her ankles. Horrified she looked down and saw what appeared to be a pair of clawed hands wrapped around her ankles. She struggled furiously as Kagome sighed and dashed off into the forest once more, leaving her trapped there and throwing curses in her wake.

_That should hold her for a few moments. Just long enough for me to get there and back towards our base. _

A smile played across the girls face and she forced her chakra into her legs. She could already feel the strain on her system from Yura's attack and then the high level jutsu she had just performed.

Gritting her teeth she pushed forwards. Her team was depending on her!

And after all, all she had to do was find the flag and bring it back.

So engrossed in her thoughts, Kagome almost missed the strip of red that waved tethered to one of the many trees. She halted on the tree right above the make shift flag, wrapping her hand around one of the branches to halt her momentum and to keep herself from flying forward into open air. Righting herself she took a moment to survey the area. Even though she saw none of the other team she still surveyed the area with her chakra, just to make double sure. When her scan came back empty, still feeling uneasy, she dropped from the tree into the small grove.

No one came out to greet her and no traps sprang forth. Still on guard Kagome untied the make shift flag and stuck it in her belt. Taking one last look around she allowed a small smile to spread across her lips before leaping back into the canopy above her.

As she traveled, the forest a mere blur around her, to engrossed in getting back to her team was she that she missed the streak of silver that flew above her. Like a ghoul he appeared in front of her, a grin on his face that promised malice.

Kagome came to a skidding halt, having she channel more of her chakra into her feet in order to grip the branch and not run smack into his chest.

Inuyasha stood on the branch in front of her, his arms crossed across his chest, a look of superiority in his amber eyes.

"Hello Kagome-chan."

She didn't answer, her body tensing in preparation for the fight she knew was about to come. Inuyasha merely raised an eyebrow, regarding her with a mixture or curiosity and humor.

"You don't truly believe that you can defeat me, do you?"

Again she didn't answer, her mind a torrent of possible strategies. All the while she knew her time was growing shorter and shorter. She had already faced Kagura, and Inuyasha stood in front of her. That left Koga, and he was almost as fast she herself.

Would Bankotsu and Miroku have been able to stop him? Or was the genin on his way back to his 'base' at the very moment with their flag in tow?

A bead of sweat rolled down her temple as she and Inuyasha continued to stare at one another.

_All I have to do is get around him. I don't have to beat him, just to avoid him. _

Swallowing past the lump in her throat Kagome wrapped her hand around the cloth tied to her belt. Taking a deep breath she began to channel her chakra once again into her feet and legs. She could feel the fight with Kagura weighing heavy on her muscles, most of her nerves still jumping from the make shift electro shock therapy. Gritting her teeth she forced more of her chakra into her muscles. Sweat began to roll down the back of her neck and the air around the pair seemed to be charging with her chakra. The smile slipped off Inuyasha's face and immediately he was on the defensive.

Kagome watched him, feeling her muscles scream in exhaustion, as she assessed the situation laid before her.

_I only have enough chakra to do this once. I have to make it count or I will be worthless to do anything else. _

Taking in another deep breath she picked an opening, one right below him, and released the tension building in her muscles. She shot from the branch, so fast that Inuyasha had no chance of keeping up with her. Letting a string of curses fly he went into a flurry of hand seals. When his jutsu was complete the young ninja no longer had human ears but furry ones that protruded from the top of his head. His teeth had elongated to that of a canine, and his fingers were tipped with razor sharp claws. Grinning he stuck his nose to the air, inhaling, and used his new sense of smell to give chase to the exhausted female before him.

Kagome ran, her chakra level so low that there was no way to continue her flash step. It had given her the distance she had needed to make a clean getaway, but now she was even slower than before. She felt as if at any given moment she would drop from the trees and crash into the forest floor below.

Thankfully her flash step, though reckless with such limited amount of chakra, had delivered her more than half the distance to her own 'base'. All she had to do was make it there and they would win!

A howl broke through the air behind her, closer than she liked. She knew who it was, and knew that with his beast transformation jutsu, Inuyasha could cover great distances very quickly. The feeble hope that she had put enough distance in between them was dashed, and now she just hoped she could get to her team before Inuyasha caught her.

Suddenly, like dawn breaking through the night, she read the flash of her friends chakra. They were less than a hundred yards in front of her! She forced her body to keep going, every muscle aching, begging her to stop. Just as she was about to break through the last bit of canopy and rejoin her team, a fear inducing issued from directly behind her.

"Caught you!"

She felt the equivalent of daggers cut into her back, tearing down across her back, slicing her from shoulder to hip. The pain licked up into her, lighting fire to every muscle as they tore.

The moment of the strike propelled her forward, just enough that she crashed through the canopy and into the grove her team mates stood. The last thing she saw before she hit the ground was Bankotsu's face, a mixture of shock and fear, as she plummeted to the earth. Then she landed, a sickening crunch issuing from her left wrist, and all went black.

…

Bankotsu was unsure what had happened. One moment he was sitting in the underbrush, waiting for Kagome, and the next he was running. All he knew was the crumbled heap of black hair and clothing was his team mate and that something was horribly wrong. He didn't remember even moving but suddenly he was by her side, kneeling in the dirt and blood that was slowly collecting around her. The back of her shirt was in tatters, blood soaking through the cotton material there. Her wrist was at an odd angle, the bone protruding under the skin.

And then Inuyasha was there.

Bankotsu took one look at the beast formed nin and knew what had happened in an instant. Black rage ate at his mind and all he could think of was spilling the other boys intestines all over the grove.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"Gripping his banryuu, Bankotsu's chakra raged around the sword. Electricity flew off the blade as he ran at Inuyasha, intending to run it through him with one forceful blow. Inuyasha was able to avoid the brunt of the first attack but Bankotsu swung back and his blade connected with his side. Inuyasha gasped and stumbled, his hand covering the now gaping wound just below his rub cage. Bankotsu prepared for his second attack, making sure that this one would hit his mark. Just as his blade was about to sink into Inuyasha, a flurry of motion erupted in the grove.

Jakotsu's sword wrapped around Bankotsu's, the snake like blade preventing the halberd from hitting its target. A blue bubble encased Inuyasha, preventing him from moving or attacking once more.

Both Tsubaki and Jakotsu came from the underbrush, Jakotsu's hands wrapped around the hilt of his sword, Tsubaki's eyes alight with the technique she was using to constrain Inuyasha.

"Enough Bankotsu!"

Bankotsu could barely hear his sensei as he tried to jerk his halberd free, Jakotsu grit his teeth and yanked back on his blade, dislodging the larger sword from his students hands.

"It seems our students took our little game seriously." Tsubaki stated, walking over to Kagome's broken body. She knelt beside the girl and inspected Kagome for herself.

'She needs the hospital. Now."

Jakotsu nodded and walked over to his fallen student.

"it's a tie then?"

Tsubaki nodded and turned to Inuyasha as Jakotsu picked Kagome up as gently as he could. Turning to both Bankotsu and Miroku he nodded to them before disappearing. The only indication of his direction was the slight rustle of foliage heading back towards the village.

Bankotsu walked over to wear his banryuu had fallen and gripped the mighty halberd's handle. Sending one last glare at Inuyasha he looked over at Miroku and nodded. They both took off in a sprint towards the village, desperate to see their team mate alright.


	9. Hospital

Three days.

Disclaimer-no

_Singing. _

In the otherwise quiet surroundings, she heard someone singing. She couldn't discerner one word from the other, the only reason she even knew it was singing was the fact there was a melody to the words.

Fighting through the fog that muddled her thoughts Kagome attempted to open her eyes. They seemed to weigh tons though, and she wondered how long she had been asleep.

Forcing her mind to work, even though it revolted against the very idea, Kagome thought back to what had happened. She remembered running through the forest, she had needed to get back to her team mates. She had something important to bring them, something she had fought hard to obtain. But the harder she tried to concentrate, the harder her mind rebelled. A dull throb began to build in her temples and she moved to rub the ache from them. She had to remember. It created a sense of urgency with in her, whatever the memory was, it was something important. That much she knew.

Her arm didn't respond to the command she had given it. She once again attempted to move it, trying to force the appendage to do as she wished. She felt something pull tight at her skin, almost like her arm was bound to by tape. She could wiggle her fingers, but past that she had no control over it.

She began to panic.

Had she been kidnapped?

"Shhh Kagome. Its alright. Don't try to move."

The soothing voice from before, the one that had been singing just a moment ago, broke through the panic threatening to consume her. She recognized the voice this time. Her mothers voice came to her, sounding utterly exhausted, but a soothing balm to the whirl wind of thoughts with in Kagome's head.

Kagome forced her eyes open and immediately slammed them shut once more. The fluorescent lighting, though dimmed as it was, was like daggers stabbing into her already throbbing head.

"Ka-san?"

She felt her mothers soft hands brush against her forehead, gently pushing her hair back as she went.

"I'm here my darling. Everything will be alright."

Kagome forced her eyes to open just a crack, bracing herself for the light this time. Kunloon sat beside her daughters bed, a small smile playing across her tired face. She cupped the side of her daughters face and leaned in closer.

"Are you alright? Are you in pain?"

Kagome shook her head, but wondered why she would ask a question like that. What had happened?

Kagome forced her eyes to open further, fighting through the near blinding pain that bloomed through her mind. Once the initial sensation had faded Kagome surveyed her surroundings for the first time.

Immediately she realized she wasn't home.

The room was immaculate and smelled of heavy antiseptic. The walls were a vibrant white and harshly bare, the only furniture other than the bed she was in was a small table set off to the side.

She was in the hospital.

Her eyes drifted down to her arm and widened in shock. The appendage lay motionless at her side, heavy bandages ran from her bicep to her hand. The only things she could move were her fingers. She ran her other hand over the hard bandages and a tightness pulled at her wrist. She then noticed an IV ran from her unhindered wrist up into a bag of clear liquid that slowly dripped into the tube.

Shaking her head Kagome moved to sit up. Her mothers hand on her shoulder stopped her and Kagome looked up into Kunloon's tired eyes, a mixture of curiosity and irritation crossing her face.

"I want to sit up, Ka-san."

Kunloon nodded, "I know Kagome. But if you do you will tear your stitches."

Kagome's eyes widened a moment before her eyebrows knit together in aggravation, "What stitches?"

Kunloon sighed and ran her hand back over her daughters face, "The stitches that run up your back, my sweetling. You have over a hundred."

Kagome shook her head, a cynical smile crossing her face, "Your lying."

Kunloon shook her head solemnly, "Would you like for me to prove it to you?"

Kagome nodded and Kunloon took in a deep breath before threading her arm under her daughters shoulders. As gently as she could Kunloon lifted her daughter into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. The closet sat diagonally from the bed, a mirrored door reflecting Kagome back at her. Still supporting the majority of Kagome's weight, Kunloon dug through her bag until she pulled free a small compact. Flipping it open she gave it to Kagome, the mirror inside facing her.

Kagome held the compact up until she could see her reflection in the mirror behind her. What she saw caused her to drop the small mirror in shock.

Heavy bandages wrapped around her back, small dots of red predominate against the crisp white. Even though she couldn't see them, Kagome could feel the tight stretch that the stitches caused as they held her flesh together.

Kunloon helped Kagome back into a laying down position. Kagome was in a state of shock.

The worst part of it was that she couldn't force herself to remember what had happened!

Kunloon picked up the forgotten compact and placed it back into her purse, making sure to keep an ever watchful eye on her daughter. Her chest rose and fell with each shallow breath she took, Kunloon knew if she didn't get Kagome to calm down, the girl was going to hyperventilate and pass out.

"Kagome, my sweet, calm down. Its going to be -"

Kagome's dark eyes shot up, eyes wide like a panicked animal "Don't you dare say this is going to be alright!"

Kunloon's words died on her lips. Kagome ran her undamaged hand through her hair, gripping the dark tendrils at the base of her skull. Her hands were shaking slightly, her knuckles white from the tension of her fist.

"I cant remember what happened, Kaa-san. Every time I try to even think about it my brain wont let me."

Kunloon nodded, "When your body suffers a great deal of shock your mind tries to save itself from going through the pain, so it temporarily rewires itself, burying the memory so that it won't relive it."

Kagome nodded, but the knowledge brought no peace to her.

"Kaa-san, what happened?"

Kunloon sighed, "Here, let me help you sit back."

Kagome shook head, pushing her mothers hands away, "What are you not telling me?"

Kunloon shook her head, "Not now, dear. We will talk later. Right now, you need to rest."

Kunloon wrapped her arms once again around her daughters shoulders, and this time, Kagome didn't push her away. Something in the exhausted tone her mother had made it nearly impossible for the young shin obi to fight her.

Kagome leaned against her pillows, her eyes drifting closed.

"How long have I been here?"

Kunloon smiled, happy her daughter had changed the subject.

"Nearly three days."

Kagome sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Three days?

She felt her mothers hand on hers, softly patting it. A moment later she heard Kunloon's chair scrape across the floor as the older woman stood up.

"I'm going to alert the medical staff that your awake."

Kagome nodded, her eyes still closed. Her mother sighed once more, then walked from the hospital room.

It wasn't fair.

Her daughter had seen the inside of a hospital room more than most shin obi twice her age. Had been healed so many times the medical staff was actually starting to fear for her own ability to heal on her own.

_All because of that arrogant bastard!_

Kunloon shook her head, pushing her anger aside. Right now she had to make sure her daughter, her magnificent child, was taken care of.

Everything else could wait.

…..

It wasn't often he was jittery.

Battle ready, anticipated, excited? Maybe.

But this was the jitters. Nothing else could explain it.

Sasuke tightened his hands around the straps of his pack for the zillionth time that day, the straps groaning against the constant attention. The leather was actually staring to wear from it.

But he couldn't stop.

Since the beginning of their mission his unease had been prevalent. Something was wrong.

He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Ya know," the chipper voice of his traveling companion chimed, "Its going to be great to be back home."

Sasuke turned to the blonde that walked a few feet in front of the others. He heard Sakura scoff from his side and rolled his eyes.

"We haven't been gone that long, baka."

Naruto shot a grin over his shoulder, "Yea, but it's the first time I haven't seen Kagome for longer than twenty four hours."

Sakura rolled her eyes again, irritation clearly evident at the mention of the other girls name.

"What's so special about her any way?

Naruto laughed, "Everything!"

Sasuke hid his smirk. Yes, that statement was true enough.

The little silver charm bounced against his chest where he had it hid beneath his clothes.

Yes special was the right word for Higurashi Kagome.

Naruto chuckled again, "I bet she's waiting at the gates, Come on!" Naruto began to jog, finding unknown energy even as the rest of his team was exhausted.

"Don't want to worry her any more!"

His team did not show his enthusiasm and Naruto sighed before jogging ahead. They were back in the land of fire after all.

The others would catch up.

Kakashi attempted to stop the younger ninja, but as his blonde head began to further and further away he decided not to. The boy was excited.

And maybe he would get some peace.

Sighing Kakashi opened his little book and began to read.

…

The gates of Konoha came into view and Naruto couldn't help the broad smile that broke across his face. He couldn't wait to see her. To tell her what happened during their mission. He was certain that she would be impressed.

Though, of course, he would leave out a few key details.

He still didn't quite understand what had happened on the bridge.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind he ran through the gates, half expecting to see her waiting there, pacing like she always did when she was anxious or worried.

But Kagome wasn't there.

Naruto took a moment to look around, making sure he hadn't missed her some how. He was disappointed, his smile slipping slightly.

Where could she be?

_Maybe she's training with that insane guy again?_

Nodding to himself he began to jog through the village. Kunloon would know where her daughter was. Even if she didn't, though, he was sure the elder Higurashi could at least point him in the right direction.

When he reached the Higurashi household he paused. There were no sounds coming from with in. Usually he would have at least heard Sota, Kagome's younger brother. The kid was just a few years old and always so full of energy.

But the house was silent as a crypt.

Just for good measure, so that he could be sure, Naruto walked up to the door and knocked. Moments passed in silence. He didn't hear Kagome's grandfather shuffling to the door, didn't hear Sota shouting that someone was there.

Nothing.

Apprehension slowly started to replace the excitement he was feeling.

Where were they?

"I swear to you Miroku, if I find him anywhere _near _her-"

"Bankotsu, what can you do? You know as well as I-"

"It doesn't matter! Do you have any idea how many times I have seen him do this to her? _He _can sit there and tell everyone it was an accident, and his damn father will make sure its all slid under the rug! Not this time!"

Naruto, recognizing the angry voice of Kagome's team mates, turned and watched the pair walk down the road towards him.

Bankotsu looked bad. He had seen the older boy looked rough before, but it was nothing compared to this. He looked psychically exhausted. His clothing, usually neatly kept, was disheveled, like he hadn't bother to change in days. His hair, usually a shining braid, stuck out at odd ends, the silky locks snarled in places.

Miroku looked better, but not by much. He, too, looked as though he needed a good nights rest, but his clothing was at least clean.

They both stopped when Naruto called out to them.

"Wow, you guys look like hell. Jakotsu pushing you hard on training?"

Bankotsu chuckled dryly, "No, Jakotsu has postponed our usually training."

Naruto nodded, "Okay. So where is Kagome then?"

Bankotsu crossed his arms across his chest and walked up to the apparently empty house hold, leaving Miroku beside Naruto. They watched as Bankotsu dug a key from his pocket and unlocked the door before entering.

"Forgive him Naruto," Miroku stated, sighing, "he forgot that you've been out of reach for a couple of days."

Naruto felt his pulse quicken. What was going on?

"What's wrong, Miroku? Where's Kagome?"

Miroku sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose, "She's at the hospital Naruto."

Naruto felt all the air rush from his lungs, feeling as if someone had punched him in the stomach.

"H-hospital? Why?!"

The door to the Higurashi house slammed open, the little glass window shattering, "Because of him!"

Bankotsu stood in the door way, his breathing ragged. A little purple bag gripped his left hand, his right balled into a fist against the door.

"Bankotsu, please, this isn't the place. And Naruto doesn't-"

Bankotsu didn't let him finish, his eyes crazed at he looked at the other two, "He nearly killed her this time Miroku! And its all my fault!"

Miroku and Naruto watched the other boys eyes widen, the slightest trace of moisture forming around them.

"I should have gone with her. I should have known what he would do. But I didn't!"

Bankotsu used his free hand to scrub at his face, rubbing the tears away before they could fall. When he regarded the two once more, his eyes were cold.

"I will not make the same mistake again."

He slung the bag over his shoulder and walked out of the house. Closing the door, he began to curse at the broken window.

"Now I owe Kunloon a new door."

Miroku chuckled dryly before turning back to Naruto, "We're going to the hospital."

Naruto nodded, "I'm coming with you-"

"There you are!"

Naruto stopped mid sentence and looked up. Sakura was standing on the roof, her gaze dark.

"We need to go check in."

Naruto shook his head, "No, I need to get to the hospital."

Sakura glared down at him, "Look, the Hokage needs to debrief us, and Kakashi sent me to find you. So either your coming on your own or I'll drag you."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest again, but a solid hand on his shoulder silenced him.

"Go. We'll tell her your home."

Naruto nodded, but it didn't make him feel better. Sakura rolled her eyes once more and leaped from the roof, trusting that Naruto would follow.

The blonde glared in her retreating direction. Debriefing be damned!

She needed him.

Miroku squeezed his shoulder, "You don't want him to send the ANBU after you, do you?"

Naruto turned to the older boy, but Miroku wasn't looking at him. He, too, was staring in the direction Sakura had gone.

"Just go Naruto. She's…ok. It wont take to long."

Naruto scoffed, but silently nodded. He followed Sakura's path, though the idea left a acidic taste in his mouth.

What had happened?

…..

Sasuke hated waiting.

The Hokage sat, ever so patiently, as they waited for Sakura to return with Naruto. Sasuke wished he had the older mans patience, the wait was unbearable.

His unease had not ebbed since coming into the village. No, quite the opposite. He felt as if his heart was going to pound out of his chest.

_What's taking those morons so long?!_

When Sakura came through the door Sasuke almost sighed in relief. Almost. Naruto followed moments later, the look on his face was confusing. The usual cheerful blonde looked anything but.

Hadn't he been the one so excited to get to the village?

Naruto didn't join the other, instead choosing to stand beside the door. As if any moment he would bolt out. Arms crossed across his chest he began to drum his fingers. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but didn't voice his question.

What happened to knock Naruto into a foul mood?

Sakura rolled her eyes, letting Naruto's attitude not lost on her, "What's wrong with you?"

Naruto didn't answer, instead choosing to address the Hokage, "Can we get this show on the road?"

The Hokage raised an eyebrow but allowed the youths callous tone to slide.

"Now that you're all here, we can begin."

….

Once the Hokage had finished, Naruto was gone. Sasuke had never seen the blonde move so fast. He rushed from the office as if the hounds of hell licked at his heels.

Which, once more, had Sasuke curious. Something he never thought would ever happen when it came to Naruto.

He never had any interest in the boys where abouts. Hardly cared enough to wonder what was going on in his life. The only reason he hadn't beaten the hell out of him on their last mission was because he knew Kagome would be upset at him.

He had no desire to bring about her wrath.

_Which reminds me, _he mused silently, _where is she?_

He, much like Naruto, had been eager to get back to the village. For probably the same reason also. He believed that being so long away from Kagome was the reason for his jitters.

But when the team had arrived hadn't seen her. He had fully expected to see her being attacked by Naruto, knowing that he couldn't have helpt himself but to attack her. Sasuke had actually looking forward to the sound of her laughter as Naruto picked her up and flung her around.

But there was no laughter.

No joyous outburst when she had finally seen him.

No Kagome.

Exiting the Hokage tower Sasuke looked around. To his immense disappointment she wasn't outside either. He had been hoping that maybe she just hadn't known they were home. Debriefing with the Hokage didn't take much time, but in their village news traveled fast. Surely someone had told her, by now, that they were back?

But again, nothing.

His frown turned to a scowl. Where the hell was she?

"We gotta go teme."

The flat tone cam from above him. Naruto stood there, his arms crossed tightly. Impatience thrummed through his entire being, his blue eyes shining with an emotion Sasuke didn't recognize.

"What?"

Naruto shook his head, hands balling into tight fists, "We have to go! Now! The only reason I waited was because she would kill me if you found out any other way!"

Sasuke's eye narrowed and when he spoke his voice was cold, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Naruto growled, "Kagome, you moron! We have to go! She's in the hospital!"

Sasuke's eyes widened and for a moment he felt as though his heart had stopped. His breathing shallowed as he tried to fight through the growing anger.

"What?"  
>Naruto shook his head, "I don't have time for this!"<br>A moment later he was gone, leaving Sasuke there to try to muddle through his thoughts. Kagome? Hospital?

_What the hell is going on!?_

Shaking himself out of his stupor Sasuke took off, leaving no trace.

Three days.

It took just three days for his entire world to spin off kilter.

_Three. Damn. Days. _

Sasuke forced his body to move faster, his tired legs propelling his form through the city. He had to get there. Had to see. Had to know.

_Why?_

…

Shock.

Anger.

Frustration.

Sadness.

The emotions flooded in, to quickly for him to process.

She was asleep, looking absolutely serene, while his thoughts ricocheted off one another. Kunloon, the ever diligent matriarch, sat in the only chair and watched her daughter. Her team mates had excused themselves when he had arrived, but both had requested to be called if she awoke. Apparently Kagome had been sleeping a lot.

Blue eyes wondered from the tubes in her arms, to the machines, to the monitors. Everything was so wrong. How could this have happened?

Kunloon wasn't forthcoming in any details either. All she kept saying was that Kagome was hurt.

Not how.

Not why.

Just that she was _hurt_.

Naruto felt his hands shake as he reached for her. He wasn't sure why, but he needed to touch her. To see if this was a cruel nightmare.

It just couldn't be real.

Even as he reached to touch her, his hand stopped, hovering over her dainty appendage where it laid on the crisp white sheet. Her arm was heavily bandaged, laid in a sling positioned across her chest. Her other was attached to monitors, the needle attached to her IV taped to the back. He wasn't even sure if he could touch her. Would it cause her pain?

As he continued to look at her, he felt the rest of the world fall away. Here was his best, possibly his only, friend.

_And he was afraid to touch her. _

This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to her. Never to her. Himself, yes. He could deal with being beaten. Being injured. He could take it all.

Just not her.

He could feel it then.

The anger that had nearly consumed him. It was a black force eating away at him. He could feel heat start to build with in him.

Who ever did this would pay.

The door opened to the quiet room and suddenly Naruto's attention was pulled from her. His anger quieted for a moment as he watched the ever stoic Uchiha enter the room.

But Sasuke was not his usual self.

His eyes were wide, pupils dilated to pin points. He looked as if his mind was trying to process what was in front him.

Then he looked over at Naruto, and they both had a moment of clarity. For the first time, they thought the exact same thing.

Whoever had hurt her would bleed.

"Sasuke."

The soft voice of Kagome's mother brought him from his shock. He turned to her where she sat and his eyes softened slightly at the sight of the tired woman. She offered him a tense smile, which he could not force his face to return.

"Wh-"

Kunloon held up her hand and shook her head, "She's hurt. But she's ok."

Her eyes drifted back to her daughter and Sasuke noticed every line, every crease, in her face. She looked exhausted.

"How long has she been here?"

Kunloon's smile drifted, as if the simple effort was to much for her to keep, "Three days."

A quiet thud resonated through the room as Naruto leaned against the wall, his eyes wide. Sasuke had to close his eyes, else they betray him. Taking a deep breath he willed himself calm.

She had been there since they had been gone.

He moved then, his motions sluggish. He couldn't force his eyes from Kagome, her face calm, but he knew. Knew that it was all a sham. Knew that if she wasn't attached to the medicines that she would have been in pain. Coming to stand by her bedside he could feel every muscle in his body start to burn. He wanted to reach out to her, to hold her, like she had done so long ago. He felt useless, standing there, unsure if he _could _touch her.

A brisk knock at the door roused the young Uchiha from his thoughts. All eyes turned to the door as an older looking woman walked through, a clipboard in one hand, and a troubled look across her face.

Kunloon frowned, "What is it?"

The nurse didn't answer immediately. A look crossed her face as if she didn't have the words to put to her thoughts.

"You have a…visitor."

Kunloon's eyebrows shot up and her frown turned to a scowl. Her mothers worry turned to anger as she stood up.

She looked down at Kagome for a brief moment before she turned to Sasuke and Naruto.

"I'll be back. The _only _people allowed in this room are Kagome's team. Do. You. Understand?"

The way she made sure to annunciate each word had both the boys curious. Naruto straightened from the wall.

"What's going on, Higurashi-san?"

Kunloon shook her head, "Just let me know that you will let _no one _near my daughter."

Naruto nodded but began to question again what had the older woman so irate. Before he could voice his concerns, Sasuke intervened.

"We'll protect her with out lives, Higurashi-san."

Kunloon looked over at Sasuke and her eyes softened for a moment. Quickly the softness was replaced by a hard edge, one he had never seen before. Kunloon walked out of the room with out a backwards glance, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone with the still sleeping Kagome.

….

Setting her shoulders back, Kunloon walked away from her daughters room. The nurse had a reason for coming into the room. The elder Higurashi had given specific orders the night before.

Standing at the nurses station, an easy smile on his face, was the one person she wanted no where near her family.

Taisho Akihiro stood with a dozen white roses, what she expected to be his peace offering. There was no peace in Kunloon though as she came to stand in front of the man though. Her eyes cold she regarded him with a frown.

"Why are you here?"

His delicate brow rose at the coldness in her voice. But ever the diplomat he extended the flowers to her.

"I came to see how the girl was doing, of course. And to offer my appolo-"

She cut him off before he could finish, "You are not welcome here."

His smile did disappear at that. Setting the roses down on the nurses desk he regarded her with a calculating look.

"I am sure this is all a simple misunderstanding."

Kunloon snorted, so angry she was nearly shaking, "The only misunderstanding is that my husband trusted you enough to entrust our daughter to your family."

Akihiro's smile was cruel, "But he did. Or have you forgotten?"

When she didn't speak Akihiro's smile widened, his voice dropping to a mere whisper, "Or do I need to remind you what I have done for your family? How would you be able to afford the expenses? The funeral costs?"

He picked up the roses, "Make sure _my _girl gets this, will you? And explain to her that Inuyasha would like to speak with her once she is able."

Kunloon took a shaky breath, trying to control her building rage.

"Until the day she is considered an adult, she is still _my _daughter. So you can take your apologies and shove them where the sun don't shine."

Akihiro's hands tightened around the stems he clutched, "You do not want to start this with me, Higurashi."

Kunloon turned on her heal and began to walk away. Half way back to her daughters room she paused and shot a glare over her shoulder at the silver haired man still standing there.

"You and your brat are not to be near my daughter. Not now. Not when she leaves rthe hospital. And if I catch him near her I will personally make sure the Hokage hears about the training sessions between Inuyasha and Kagome."

Akihiro's eyes turned to ice, the chill seeping into his voice, "Is that a threat?"

Kunloon chuckled dryly, "it's a promise. Or do you want them to know how their star is abusing a young girl?"

With that she continued to walk to Kagome's room. Akihiro stood there, clutching the roses, his knuckles turning white. With out a word he turned and walked from the hospital.

How dare she threaten him?!

_No matter._

Higurashi Kunloon was a thorn in his side. She had been rubbing him raw since Tai had been buried.

And, just like her husband, he had a way of dealing with thorns in his side.

Ok, well there you go. I know, you all are pissed I have been MIA. But, I do have a good reason. One two year old, who is my entire life, and my new born son. So please don't kill me. I am trying like you wouldn't believe to work on these. My muse is just now starting to come back to me.

So again, if you are still with me, then thank you. If not, well, I understand. Be on the look out for the next chapter though.


	10. First Fight

Ok here we go. Another Chapter. I feel as if I have done ok with it. A little longer than I wanted to take writing it, but hey, I do what I can.

I hope this answer _some _questions. Not all.

Hope to see you all reviewing soon!

Disclaimer - No.

Steam filled the tiled room, tears of water rolled down the walls. Dark hair clung to her creamy shoulders as she let the near scalding water bathe her. With her eyes closed she could almost, if for just a moment, pretend she was at home.

Opening her eyes Kagome sighed. This was not her shower. The hot water continued to flow as she picked up the soap the hospital had provided for her. Pain shot up her arm, making her drop the bar. Wincing she pulled the appendage to her chest. The doctors had warned her that she could have sporadic pain.

Sighing she turned the water off. They had warned her not to push too hard; that it would all come with time. That she needed to rest.

But dammit, she couldn't even bathe herself.

Sighing once more she stepped from the shower. At least she had been able to rinse off.

_At least I wont grow mold. _

That thought made her stomach turn. She had not been able to properly bathe since the day she had been admitted into the hospital. Of course they had washed her then though, they had had to. There had been to much blood to properly asses the damage.

But that had been the last time soap had touched her skin. The nurses came in and gave her a sudo sponge bath. But having a little self respect left she refused to let them truly bathe her. So when the nurse had given her the good news the night before she had just assumed she would be able to shower.

She was going home.

As soon as the doctor got in he would give her a final round of tests and then they would release her.

The very thought of being back home, able to sleep in her own bed, wear her own clothes, had her nearly bouncing off the walls. Excitement built to the point that she was unable to sleep.

So, here she was, dawn just peaking over the land, trying to shower.

Sighing once more she grabbed a clean yukata from the back of the door and walked back into her empty hospital room.

Or what, by all means, should have been empty.

She froze, her hand still on the bathroom door knob, her throbbing wrist pressed even tighter against her chest. Standing between her bed and an open window was the cause of her dismay. He offered her a small smile, a dozen white lilies clutched in his hand. She took an unconscious step back; every instinct she had screaming for her to run into the bathroom and pull the emergency help cord. Though she couldn't remember everything that had happened the bits and pieces she could let her know that he was the reason she was here.

He held up his other hand, palm flat, showing the international sign for peace. Still leery she didn't move forward and he sighed.

"I come in peace?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Peace?"

Inuyasha nodded, "Peace. I wanted to apologize."

He leaned against the window sill, running his empty hand through his hair, "I've been trying to come and see you. Your kaa-san wouldn't let me any where near you."

Kagome scoffed and leaned against the door frame, making sure her escape was still clear behind her.

"With good reason. You nearly killed me, Inuyasha."

He sighed once more and ran his hand over his face, "I know that. But you gotta understand."

She raised an eyebrow, "Understand what? This isn't the first time you have hurt me, Inuyasha."

Anger began to build with in her, "I have pretended, _for years_, that all those times were just training. Was just you getting to rough. But this," she motioned to her injured wrist, "this has opened my eyes to what I have known all along. You _enjoy _hurting me."

Another sigh escaped him, this one in exasperation. The sun was rising higher behind him, bathing the room in warm golden light. It wouldn't be long before the hospital would open visiting hours. Kagome knew he didn't want a confrontation; else he would have come through the hospital instead of through her window.

"You don't get it. I never meant to hurt you." his amber eyes clashed with her cobalt ones and for a moment Kagome could almost see sincerity with in. At one time that would have been enough.

Not this time.

Still guarded she motioned for him to continue and he laid the flowers on her night table.

"Will you at least come over here and sit with me?"

She shook her head, "I'm fine where I'm at."

Another sigh, this one closer to a growl, escaped him as he sat down on the empty bed.

"I would never mean to hurt you, Kagome. Its just you're so fast, its almost like your teasing me." he turned to stare out the window, "and you know how I hate to be teased."

Kagome scoffed once more, "That still gives you no right to hurt me, Inuyasha."

He nodded but still wouldn't look at her, "Yea, I know. Believe me, I hate myself every time it happens. I just get so aggravated. Add that to jealousy and I just…" he looked at her then, "I cant control myself."

That caught her off guard, "Jealousy? Of what?"

He ran his hands through his hair, "Every time I see you with Uchiha and Uzamaki. They are always with you and you are always smiling. Especially with that Uchiha brat."

Kagome felt heat flood her face, "Sasuke is not a brat."

Inuyasha chuckled dryly, "Even now you're defending him."

She shook her head, confusion lacing every thought, "Why are you jealous of the time I spend with them? What, do you like me or something?"

His eyes met with hers for a brief moment before he turned back to the window. Kagome nearly fell over.

"You have got to be kidding me."

He didn't respond and a surprised laugh escaped her, "What about Kikyo? She's been your girlfriend forever!"

He sighed and laid his forehead in his hands, "Yea, she has. But she's not you."

He shook his head, "Kikyo is my girlfriend, yea, but you and I _belong _together."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He looked at her once more, surprised that she had cursed even the slightest bit. A wry smile curled his face and she felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach.

Something was not right.

"You don't know?"

She shook her head, her eyes narrowing in apprehension. Inuyasha chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"You don't know why you are always coming over, why our parents are always trying to get us to spend time together?"

"Spit it out, then Inuyasha!"

She was becoming irate with his games and her wrist was starting to throb harder as every muscle in her body tightened.  
>His smile was wide as he turned to face her fully, "You are to be my wife, Kagome."<p>

Silence filled the room as her eyes widened. Her pulse roared in her ears as she tried to process the information he was giving her. Minutes ticked by as she stood there, nearly floored by his simple statement.

It wasn't true.

It couldn't be true.

There was no way.

Inuyasha sat silently on the bed, waiting for her to digest the shock. When her brain finally engaged once more she shook her head.

"Your lying."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

She nodded, her brow furrowed "If it were true, someone would have told me. My tou-san-"

He interjected then "Your father made this agreement with my tou-san _for_ you, Kagome."

She felt her brows furrow while disbelief washed over her. Inuyasha sighed once more, his smile never leaving his face.

"Yea. When Tai got so sick, he knew. Knew it would kill him eventually."

Kagome stomped her foot, "No! Sesshomaru killed my tou-san!"

Inuyasha nodded and held up his hands, "I know this. But before, he knew his sickness would eventually take him."

Kagome shook her head once more, feeling tears burn her eyes, "N-No! He was getting better! He was-"

Inuyasha shook his head, "No, he wasn't. And his hospital bills were piling up. Before Sesshomaru went rogue, he came to my tou-san. They went to Tai-san with a proposition. My tou-san would pay off all debts owed by your family, the only thing he asked was that we marry."

Kagome shook her head, tears running down her cheeks, "Someone would have told me!"

Inuyasha shook his head and if she didn't know any better she would say he was enjoying her turmoil.

"Why would they have told you? So that you could worry about your families situation?"

Kagome stood there in shock and he stood up, "It was the best situation. What else could Tai-san have done? He wasn't bringing in any money being in the hospital all the time. And Kunloon-san was doing her best just to raise you and your otouto. With the debt rising the only thing your kaa-san could do was to join a team."

He took a step towards her and in her shock her brain didn't register what he was doing.

"Your tou-san knew that there was trouble brewing between the nations. There still is. And what would happen if Kunloon-san was killed on a mission?"

He shook his head, "That would have left you and your otouto to be raised by your sofu. His health is not the greatest, either. Could you imagine what would have happened?"

He took another step towards her as Kagome nearly sagged against the wall. Her brain wasn't processing what he was saying, her thoughts running to quickly. A part of her knew what he said made sense, but that part was buried deep with in the rising panic.

Before she realized it Inuyasha was with in an arms reach of her. She looked up at him, her pupils dilated to mere pin points.

"Your family would have lost everything. My tou-san saved you from all that heart ache. Made it possible for you to continue to live the way you're used to."

She felt fresh tears spill down her face, "B-but why wouldn't someone tell me?"

Her voice was a mere whisper, her mind so fragile she felt as if another shock would break her.

Inuyasha reached out to her then, running his hand almost efficiently down the side of her face.  
>"I'm sure they have their reasons."<p>

His smile was sincere, and in her frazzled state Kagome couldn't tell if it was true or false.

"Like I said Kagome," his voice was a whisper as his thumb wiped the tears from her chin, "we belong together. I would never hurt you on purpose."

She felt ice begin to enclose her heart, dread pooled in her stomach as he smiled at her.

"You're mine, Kagome. You have been for a long time."

He leaned forward, running his other hand up her uninjured arm, "And you will be forever. Always remember that."

Before she could stop him he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes widened in shock and before she could push him away he pulled back. The kiss was chaste, nothing special. Not like she had expected her first kiss to be. She felt nothing save for the dread now spreading through her like a wildfire. It spread its icy fingers through her mind, shutting down any and all thought process she may have been regaining.

He smiled and walked back over to the window.

"I'll see you later Kagome."

Before she could realize what had happened he was out the window and gone.

Silence filled her room once more. Golden light bathed the entire room now and she could hear the faintest sounds of the hospital outside her room.

All the air escaped her lungs in one long hiss. She felt as if she had just been kicked in the gut.

Marriage?

Inuyasha?

It didn't make sense.

She leaned heavily against the door frame and allowed her body to slide to the floor. Pulling her knees to her chest she sat there, trying to remember how to breath. If she truly thought about it, in all actuality, it did make sense. Almost like if she had opened her eyes she would have seen it a long time ago.

Every part of her warred with the idea though.

Hot tears spilled down her cheeks once more as she sat there.

Closing her eyes tight she tried to digest the mountain of information she just had forced down her throat. At one point she must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew she was being lifted from the floor.

She nearly panicked, afraid that he had come back. Eyes still closed she began to thrash, intent on making him drop her.

"Whoa! Kagome wake up!"

The familiar voice broke through her panic and she opened her eyes. Brown eyes filled with concern filled her vision and she nearly cried out.

She wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck, relief washing over her in a giant tidal wave. She buried her face his shoulder and began to shake, tears streaming down her face.

Terrified he carried her over to the bed. When Kunloon had contacted him that morning to let him know Kagome was to be released he had been ecstatic. She had asked him to go and escort her home, stating that she would be waiting for the pair with lunch ready and a hot bath for Kagome.

When he had arrived at the hospital he had to force himself not to bounce off the walls. He hated seeing her in the hospital. He wanted nothing more than to get her home and make sure she was safe. He had pushed aside everything he had planned for the day, intent on spending as much time with her as he could.

But when he had come into her room and found her on the floor panic flooded his every fiber. He had run over to her, unable to speak, afraid she was hurt or worse. Kneeling in front of her he had done a preliminary inspection. She didn't appear hurt, no new wounds, and her breathing was gentle and even.

But why was she asleep so far from her bed?

Shaking his head he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, intent on putting her in her bed. Then she had panicked.

Now they sat on her bed, Kagome wrapped around him like she would never let him go. Her body shook with sobs and the only thing he could do was hold her, gently shushing into her hair as he rain his hands down her back.

"Its ok. I'm here."

After a few moments she seemed to calm. Her shoulders still shook, but her body wasn't convulsing with sobs. He laid his cheek on top of her head and continued to whisper gently to her. After a few moments she stopped shaking and he pulled back gently. Her arms tightened around him as if she were afraid he was leaving her.

"Its okay. I'm here." he continued to stroke her hair, running the back of his fingers across her tear slick cheeks.  
>What had happened to make her panic so?<p>

He just held her tight and let the warmth of her body envelope him. It felt right, holding her. She fit perfectly in his arms, her body just the right size to match his. He closed his eyes for a moment and for the first time in days allowed his body to relax completely. As long as he held her he knew she was safe, knew that nothing could hurt her.

Kagome sighed and Sasuke pulled back from her, just far enough he could see her face. To his astonishment she was asleep, her arms still wrapped around him, her face buried with in his chest. A smile spread across his face and he repositioned himself more comfortably against the bed pillows. Pulling her body more securely against him he sighed, his head propped against the wall. Contentment washed over him as he held her still form.

For the first time since he had arrived he allowed himself to look around her room. Everything was as it should be. He still couldn't understand what had caused her to panic as she had. He caught a flash of white through his peripherals and glance over at her bedside table. Laying there, a stark contrast to the dark wood they lay on, was a dozen lilies. They had not been there the night before when visiting hours had ended.

He felt ire raise with in him and knew the lilies had to have _something _to do with her episode. But what, he wasn't sure. To him they looked like harmless flowers, but the fact that they were there now and hadn't been before made him curious.

Once more he looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms. She looked utterly exhausted. Darkness circled under her eyes and she was a bit too pale for his liking. Other than that though she was flawless. Captivating even.

She snuggled deeper into him, bringing her head to rest more comfortably on his shoulder. The warmth of her breath played against the pulse in his throat as she sighed in her sleep. Sasuke felt his insides flutter and an emotion he wasn't sure of began to build with in. Gazing down at her his eyes caught her pink lips and an unfamiliar thought filled him.

What would it be like to kiss her?

Suddenly his mouth felt dry. She was so soft and warm in his arms he had no doubt her lips would be like rose petals against his own. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip before his teeth followed. Uncertainty coupled with longing as he continued to gaze at her. He had never seen Kagome that way, had never allowed his thoughts to stray any further than seeing her as a friend, his best friend even.

But now…

He turned his face fully to her, his heart beat pounding so hard he could nearly taste it. His breath escaped him in one long sigh as he moved the slightest bit more. He could now feel her soft heat against his lips, her own merely a breath away. All he would need to do was take that final step.

The door to her room opened and Sasuke jumped. Kagome startled in his arms and he felt every muscle in her tighten. His arms tightened around her as he turned to face the intruder, ire building with in him.

Her doctor stood in the doorway, his hand still on the knob. He surveyed the scene behind wire rimmed spectacles, one eyebrow quirked in curiosity. A knowing smile curled his weathered face as he walked into the room.

"I wasn't aware that you had a visitor, Kagome."

She relaxed slightly and stretched her arms above her head. Sasuke loosened his grip around her, but didn't release her. The doctor met his irate gaze and his smile widened just slightly.

"Sasuke, if you would release Kagome, I can run my tests and we can get her out of here."

Reluctantly Sasuke allowed his arms to fall away from her form. Her warmth still enclosed him even as she moved from his hold to sit on the bed beside him.

Sasuke watched as the doctor held Kagome's injured wrist in his hand. Their conversation was lost to him though as he brooded over his own thoughts.

What had just happened?

Romance was not something he had time for. He had dedicated his life to one purpose and one purpose only.

And that had nothing to do with these new emotions.

Frustration turned to curiosity in his mind. What had brought forth those thoughts? True, the fluttering was nothing new. He was almost used to it by this point. But never before had he actually had an impulse like this. Not for any kind of psychical pleasure, even as small as a kiss.

Forget the fact that this was _Kagome._

His gaze rested on the side of her face, studying her. A gentle smile curled her lips as the doctor tested her reflexes before listening to her heart rate. If he was honest with him self he could see why. She was becoming quite a beauty. Dark raven hair, lightly sun kissed skin, a lithe form with curves forming in all the right places.

She was beautiful.

She turned to him and he watched her lips move and a curious look cross her face. Forcing his subconscious back to the world he raised an eyebrow.

"Did you not hear me?"

Shaking his head he watched her laugh, "I asked you if you could wait outside while I get dressed. Unless you want to see me naked?"

Nodding her stood and walked swiftly towards the door, lest his mind run ramp it and something stupid fall out of his mouth.

After all, he had had enough shock for one day.

…

The walk back to Kagome's house was a quiet one, which they were both grateful for. Kagome was still reeling from the information Inuyasha had brought her that morning, and Sasuke was still very confused. But the silence was not an uncomfortable one. Even though their thoughts were very different they were still grateful for the company of the other.

Kagome sighed and shook her head, pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind. She didn't want to think about her problems. It was a beautiful day, and she was with one of her very best friends. Though she felt as if something was still missing.

Turning to Sasuke she folded her hands behind her head, "So where's Naruto?"

Sasuke blinked rapidly, forcing his mind to the present and away from analyzing his new found emotional turmoil.

"Who knows? Hopefully training."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "What for?"

Sasuke slid his hands into his pockets, "The chunin exams. Kakashi kinda dropped it on us last minute."

Kagome stumbled slightly and he jumped to catch her. She righted herself quickly, a look of surprise on her face.

"That's right! When do the exams begin?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, sliding his hands once more to his pockets, "Tomorrow morning. Why?"

She nodded, "Ok, has registration already ended?"

A tick formed in the young Uchiha's jaw, "No, registration ends tonight at midnight. Why?"

Kagome nodded, "Then I need to get home and find Jakotsu-sensei."  
>Sasuke shook his head, "No way. Absolutely not."<p>

Her petite arms crossed over her chest, a look of defiance crossing her face, "What?"

He turned his face up, just as defiant as she, "You will not enter the chunin exams. There's no reason."

Her fingers began to drum against her arm, anger blooming with in her "And who are you to tell me what I am or what I am not going to do?"

His dark eyes clashed with her own as irritation built inside of him.

"You just got out of the hospital." he said matter of factly.

What ever good his intentions had been they were lost on Kagome as her irritation built more.

"So?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. She sounded so childish that, under different circumstances, he would have thought adorable. But not this time. Not now. His thoughts were still a jumbled mess from earlier that morning.

"Stop being stupid."  
>Once the words left his mouth he regretted them. He hadn't meant to say it. Not really. But she was acting so much like the blonde haired moron she so favored the words just slipped off his tongue.<p>

The hurt he watched wash over her was enough to nearly floor him.

Silence stretched between them; tension built so thick he could taste it in the air. When he saw moisture shining in her eyes his heart clenched.

Before the tears could fall she rubbed at her face in irritation. With red cheeks she turned from him and stuck her nose to the air.

"You can leave now Sasuke. After all," she turned to him and he watched as her anger shined like an inferno with in her dark eyes, "I wouldn't want you to have to speak with some one so stupid."

He opened his mouth but no words came forth. She stormed away from him, her pace quicker than before.

Shoving his hands in his pockets once more he turned the opposite direction. Anger still boiled with in him. Anger towards her for not being able to see his point, and anger with himself for being so careless.

He scoffed and did what all Uchiha were so well at doing. He pushed every emotion aside and focused on the issue at hand.

After all, he needed to prepare for the exam tomorrow.

…..

By the time she had arrived home Kagome's anger had dissipated, leaving a pain she was unfamiliar with. Sure, she was used to being called stupid. Inuyasha often threw the fraise her way when he was agitated during their training sessions.

But hearing it from Sasuke some how made it hurt.

She took a deep breath and walked through her yard. If felt as if someone had their hand wrapped around her heart, slowly squeezing. It wasn't something she was used to.

So lost in her musings she was unprepared for the onslaught that awaited her. Had she been more aware she would have felt his chakra, would have been able to dodge the attack awaiting just behind her front door. But the moment she entered her home she was suddenly in the air, spinning around so fast it she was nearly sick.

"Kaggy-chan!"

The blonde continued to spin her around, his arms wrapped so tightly around her she feared he was going to crack a rib. But it did manage to bring a smile to her face, pushing the unpleasant thoughts and emotions from her for a moment.

Kagome laughed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he continued to spin.

"Naruto! Put me down!"

He laughed and stopped spinning but didn't put her down. Instead he chose to carry her deeper into the house.

"Not on your life! Last time I let you go you were in the hospital!"

Kagome chuckled and kicked her feet playfully, "Do you plan on carrying me forever?"

He shrugged and carried her into the kitchen were the rest of her family waited.

"Well, I'll have to let you go to shower and sleep."

Kagome laughed and turned to her mother who simply smiled and shook her head.

"Naruto, can I see my daughter please?"

Naruto sighed but his grin never left his face. Setting Kagome down he took a seat at the small dining room table and watched as her family greeted her.

Once she had hugged every one of them and with stood her grandfathers inspection she joined Naruto at the table. Kunloon busied herself making refreshments. The smell of Kagome's favorite dish filled the room and for a moment she allowed herself to be completely absorbed with in the welcoming atmosphere.

Naruto sighed and leaned back in his chair, the front to legs suspended in air as he rested against the wall.

"So how are you feeling?"

Kagome shrugged, her fingers playing with the white bandages that still wrapped around her wrist.

"My backs completely healed, but my wrist is still a little sore."

Kunloon hnned softly, "Well, the doctors did say the bones would take a while to regain their previous strength."

She shrugged and turned to her daughter, a wooden spoon held in her hand, "It will just take time."

Kagome sighed and laid her head on the table, "Time I don't have."

Naruto folded his hands behind his head, "Whatcha mean?"

Kagome shook her head, "The chunin exams are tomorrow and I'm going to need all my strength."

Naruto chuckled, "What are you worried about the chunin exams for? Its not like you're going to compete."

Kagome raised her head just enough to look at him. The look in her cobalt eyes said it all.

Naruto's chair legs slammed onto the floor as he leaned forward, "You're kidding me!"

The entire room was silent, the only sound coming from the boiling pot atop the stove.

Kagome sat up fully then, "I have to."

Kunloon shook her head and placed the lid back atop the pot, "Kagome I don't think-"

She interrupted her mothers worrying, "I have to, kaa-san. I cant do that to Bankotsu and Miroku."

Naruto laid his hands flat on the table, "They'll understand! You just got out of the hospital!"

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Not you too."

Naruto cocked his head to the side, "What's that mean?"

Kagome shook her head, choosing not to relive her and Sasuke's fight once more.

"I just have to. They weren't able to compete last year because of Kagura. I cant, no, I wont be like her."

She shook her head, "Its my decision."

Kunloon sighed and began pulling bowels out of the cupboard, "Maybe you should talk to Jakotsu first? He may not even want to enter your team this year."

Kagome shook her head, "Jakotsu-sensei wont do that."

Kunloon hnned once more and began setting the table.

"Well, he will be over this afternoon anyway. Why don't we leave the matter alone until he gets here?"

Kagome sighed but didn't say anything. She looked over at Naruto and saw that he had something he wanted to say. To her surprise he nodded in agreement with Kunloon.

Kagome sighed once more and watched as her kaa-san brought over the steaming pot and began to serve lunch.

They sat in silence as Kagome lost herself in the taste of oden soup. The meal warmed her to her very core. For a moment she could forget everything that had transpired that day. A smile of contentment filled her face as she slurped her noodles.

Naruto slurped the remaining broth out of his bowl and sat it back down on the table. A curious look crossed his face and Kagome watched as he looked around the room. She raised an eyebrow as she took a bite of fish and continued to watch him. His gaze finally came back her, curiosity burning bright in his azure eyes.

"Hey, where's the teme at?"

Kagome's throat constricted, the unfamiliar pain filling her chest again. She forced herself to swallow, her soup now tasting like saw dust.

"He had…somewhere to be."

Naruto rolled his eyes, irritation replacing curiosity.

"What else is so important that he couldn't even make sure you came home ok? I mean, your kaa-san said he was supposed to walk you home!"

Kagome picked at her half full bowl, her appetite gone. Shrugging she laid her utensils down.

"I didn't ask."

Naruto scoffed and stood up, "Well, I'm going to go find him then!"

Kagome opened her mouth to object but Naruto was already out of the room. A second later she heard the door open and close meaning he was gone.

Kunloon chuckled softly and picked up Naruto's empty bowl. She paused over Kagome's shoulder.

"Are you feeling ok dear?"

"Huh?"

Kunloon raised an eyebrow, "You've barely touched your oden."

Kagome looked back down at her bowl and shrugged, "Just tired I guess."

Kunloon nodded and took the empty bowl into the kitchen.

She heard the front door open and close once more before a feminine voice filled her home.

"Where is my favorite pupil?"

Kagome sighed and pushed her bowl away a moment before her cross dresser sensei entered the room. Jakotsu was dressed as usual, save for his wickedly curved blade was not strapped to his back. Behind him stood Bankotsu and Miroku, both wearing smiles at the sight of their female team mate.

"There you are!"

Kagome waved towards him but that wasn't good enough for her usually ruthless sensei. Jakotsu pulled her from her seat and crushed her to his chest. Every muscle in her smaller form tightened. The only contact Jakotsu ever made was usually followed by pain, so a simple hug was not something Kagome expected.

Jakotsu sighed and pulled back away from her, his hands still on both her shoulders. A smile curled his painted lips as he looked over her.

"You're looking good."

Bankotsu scoffed, rolling his eyes "Yea, last time you saw her she was covered in blood."

Jakotsu shrugged and let his hands fall away from Kagome's shoulders. He took the seat Kagome had just exited and watched as she embraced Bankotsu and then Miroku. They each held a smile Jakotsu had not seen on their faces for days.

"So, how are you feeling?"

Kagome shrugged and slid her hands into her pockets, "Fine."

Jakotsu raised an eyebrow at her uninformative response. But he didn't pry. If she wanted to tell him, she would.

Miroku and Bankotsu began to fill Kagome in on everything she had missed as Jakotsu idly played with Kagome's discarded chop stick.

Kunloon joined him at the table as the trio moved to the back door. They exited, still deep in conversation. Kagome's laughter filled the room as she slid the glass door closed behind her.

Kunloon sighed then and Jakotsu raised his eyebrow, "Something wrong, Higurashi-san?"

Kunloon's gaze was directed at the door her daughter had just exited, "Kagome wants to run the chunin exam."

Jakotsu quirked an eyebrow, "You're joking."

Kunloon shook her head, "I'm afraid not."

Jakotsu laughed and shook his head, "What kind of pain medication were they giving her?"

Kunloon smiled but her face was still tired.

Jakotsu sighed and folded his hands on the table, "I don't even know how to address this."

Kunloon rubbed her temples, "Just tell her you're not entering."

Jakotsu chucked dryly, "Do you really believe that will work?"

Kunloon didn't answer. They both knew her daughter.

Jakotsu sighed and stood up, "Honestly Higurashi-san, I don't see any real issue with this."

Kunloon's brow furrowed, "What are you talking about? She just got out of the hospital!"

Jakotsu nodded, "I know this, but Higurashi-san your daughter is strong." A smile curled Jakotsu's lips, "one of the strongest genin I have had the pleasure of working with."

Kunloon didn't answer as she watched Jakotsu. He stared at the glass door where his team had exited.

"If she believes she's strong enough, then I won't stop her. I'm sure she will have to convince Bankotsu and Miroku to go along with her though."

His smile widened, "But I don't doubt she will. And if I know them they will rally around her like an impenetrable shield."

He sighed and pressed his hands to his hips before turning back to Kunloon.

"Don't worry Higurashi-san. I'll go talk to them."

Kunloon watched as Jakotsu walked out the door, feeling as if the world had turned upside down.

Sighing she stood and began to clear the lunch dishes.

…

The sun was dipping low in the sky, painting every thing a fiery orange. Kagome sat outside alone, studying the way the Goshinkba swayed behind her. It had taken hours to convince Miroku and Bankotsu that she was strong enough to do this. They still weren't overly thrilled with the idea, but they had agreed to enter the exam.

Kagome closed her eyes and relaxed, forcing her mind to remain blank. Taking a deep breath she allowed the stress of the day to wash away from her.

The sound of movement beside her made her open her eyes. Kagome regarded her kaa-san with tired eyes. Kunloon looked down at her daughter and Kagome could see every line etched deeply in her mothers face. Her lips were pressed together in a tight line and she wrung her hands in the edge of her apron.  
>"I don't want you to do this, Kagome."<p>

Kagome nodded, "I know."

Kunloon looked down at her and Kagome f saw moisture ringing her kaa-san's eyes. Alert now Kagome stood and walked over to the elder Higurashi.

Kunloon wrapped her arms around her daughter and hugged her tight. Kagome could feel her tears atop her head and she wrapped her own arms around her kaa-san.

"I already almost lost you. What happens if…if…"

Kagome sighed and just tightened her hold around her kaa-san.

They stood there for a long moment, just enjoying the feel of one another. Kagome closed her eyes and laid her head against Kunloon's shoulder.

A long moment passed before Kunloon finally pulled back. She smiled, though it was tight, and pressed and kiss to her daughters brow.

"Just promise me you will come back to me."

Kagome nodded and smiled, though she didn't speak. There was so much she wanted to say to her kaa-san. So many questions she wanted answered.

The most pressing one, though, was why.

Why hadn't she told her?

Why had she felt the need to keep her impending marriage a secret?

Looking at her kaa-san, though, Kagome swallowed the questions. She could wait until after everything was calmer. Right now she needed to hear that Kagome would be alright. And even though she didn't know it for certain, Kagome was willing to lie. If just to give the older woman peace for a night.

Kunloon's smile eased a bit as she turned back to the house, her arm still wrapped around her daughters shoulders.

"Come on now. I have a bath all ready for you."

Kagome nodded and allowed her kaa-san to lead her into the house.

…

By the time Naruto finally found Sasuke the sky was dark. Irate he dropped from the sky onto the Uchiha as he burnt training dummies to a crisp in the Uchiha training grounds.

"Hey teme! I have a bone to pick with you!"

Sasuke turned and leveled Naruto with a sour look, "What?"

Naruto glared, "What the hells the big idea? You were supposed to walk Kagome home today, you ass!"

Sasuke's jaw ticked. It wasn't enough that he had spent the day brooding over what had happened that morning, now he had Naruto demanding answers out of him?

It was almost to much.

"I had things to get done."

Naruto glared at him, his blue eyes ablaze with anger. How dare he just dismiss the question?

_And he's always going on about loyalty!_

Naruto nearly snarled and he could feel heat began to prick at his skin. Not only was he dismissing him, but Kagome too!

He crossed his arms across his chest and regarded the young Uchiha with near hatred.

"I see how much she means to you."

Sasuke glared, "don't you _dare _question mean about my feelings for her!"

The air charged between them and Naruto fisted his hands, "Question? There was no question. She _obviously _doesn't mean enough to pull you away from what ever you had to do today."

Sasuke didn't answer and he could feel his eyes bleeding red.

They stood in silence for a moment, chakra building in the air. Naruto scoffed and turned away from Sasuke, serving to anger the stoic Uchiha even more.

When he turned his head to glance at Sasuke, Naruto's pupils were slits in the center of his eyes.

"Your not worth it."

With that comment he leaped back into the trees, leaving Sasuke there alone once more. Black rage ate at his mind as he glared at the spot Naruto once stood. He was half tempted to chase after the blonde. A little voice whispered at the back of his mind that that would not be the best choice of action. He could still remember Naruto's fight on the bridge on their last mission. He knew that if he were to face Naruto with raw anger there was a likely chance he would awaken what ever power lay dormant.

That was not something Sasuke wanted to attempt.

Scoffing he turned and began to make his way to his apartment.


	11. Chunin Exams : stage one

Chunin Exams, stage one

Disclaimer- no.

The village was buzzing as they made their way to the academy. Every fiber of her being was humming and her stomach was knotted so tight she feared she would vomit. But despite her nervousness Kagome smiled. Bankotsu and Miroku flanked each of her sides, each dressed battle ready. She couldn't remember ever seeing them so apprehensive before.

Sighing she grabbed each of their hands, a gesture that had the both of them tensing. They very rarely made psychical contact with one another and then only when they were forced too.

"Its going to be ok. I promised Jakotsu-sensei that I would take it easy, didn't I?"

She felt Bankotsu squeeze her hand slightly, "Yea, but if you were really taking it easy you would be at home resting."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Yea, and then you guys would have to wait another year for your chance."

Miroku scoffed, "Which, as we told you _yesterday_, we have no problem doing."

Kagome shook her head and pulled her hands away from them, "But I do."

Bankotsu rolled his eyes but kept silent.

They rounded a corner and saw an unusual sight. Three ninja they did not know were squared off in front of Naruto, a young boy hiding behind him. Ice formed in the pit of Kagome's stomach as she regarded them. The first two just looked mean, but the boy standing behind them…

_Something isn't right._

His gaze shifted and clashed with hers. She saw nothing in their sea foam depths. Every fiber in her being tingled like she had been shocked. Her breathing shallowed as she watched him. He regarded her with cold calculation as if wondering what it would take to break her. In the back of her mind Kagome knew this boy would hurt her, would paint the ground with her blood, with out so much as a second thought.

She felt an arm around her waist a moment before she was pulled back. Miroku placed her protectively behind him as Bankotsu stepped forward, his hand wrapped around the hilt of Banryuu. Even as he smiled Kagome could see in the way he set his shoulders that Bankotsu was prepared for a fight.

"What's goin on here?"

The group turned and Kagome watched as Naruto's eyes widened.

"K-Kagome?"

She smiled but before she could answer the boy in purple face paint interjected.

"This has nothing to do with you. I suggest you leave."

Bankotsu chuckled, "Well, you see, that guy there," he motioned towards Naruto, "is like, the _best friend _of this little lady here." He motioned towards Kagome. "And whatever happens to _him_ she makes _her _business. Which, by association, makes it _my _business."

The boy chuckled cruelly, "Fine, then I'll just have to kill _all of you_."

She felt Miroku's arm tighten around her as he reached with in his pocket.

"If he attacks," his voice was a mere breath as he spoke, not turning from the group, "I want you to _get out of here._"

Kagome nodded but before either party could advance something odd interjected. A pebble flew from the tree, thwarting the boy in the side of his face. All attention was turned from one another to the direction of the projectile.

Kagome, despite her aggravation at him, had never been so happy to see Sasuke in her life. His dark eyes connected with hers for a moment before he turned back towards the others.

"If you want to fight," Sasuke stated flatly, "we need to make it a fare one."

The purple painted boy had had enough. He grabbed the odd package off his back and Kagome felt her gut tighten once more. The package was just as tall as the boy, a tuft of what looked like hair stuck out the top.

She did not want to know what lay beneath its mummy like wrappings.

Before he could use his weapon though the other boy spoke for the first time. His attention was away from Kagome, which she was grateful for. His gaze was directed at Sasuke though and she wondered if he felt the same dread she had before.

"Kankuro, Temari, we're leaving."

The boy, Kankuro, regarded the smaller boy with shock, "B-but Gaara-"

His gaze flicked to the him, "If you continue, I will kill you."

The cold callousness Kagome heard in his voice told her that he would. He would slaughter his team mate with out any remorse.

The other two swallowed and nodded before they turned and walked deeper into the village.

She felt the tension ease as soon as they left. Miroku unwrapped his arm from around Kagome and Bankotsu released Banryuu. They looked at one another and Bankotsu shook his head.  
>"That could have gone much worse."<p>

Miroku chuckled softly but it was an action he had to force.

"What the hell are you doing here Kagome?"

Kagome sighed and turned to the shocked eyes of Naruto. The young boy had come out from behind him and now Naruto was focused solely on her.

"I'm going to the exams, Naruto."

She said it matter of factly. Naruto's eyes widened a fraction more before he shook his head vigorously.

"No you're not."

Kagome sighed once more and rubbed her temples, "Yes, I am."

He crossed his arms over his chest and Kagome watched as Sasuke joined them on the ground. She turned to him but saw no reprieve there. His obsidian eyes betrayed nothing, and the lack of emotion she saw there made her heart ache.

Lucky for her Bankotsu was there, who had never been one to hold his tongue, "Naruto, do you really think that you telling her no is going to make a difference?"

Naruto crossed his arms across his chest and turned to Sasuke, "Hey teme, I know your all broody this morning, but can you talk sense into her?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head before turning towards the direction the three strange ninja had gone.

"Good luck."

Naruto's jaw dropped as he watched Sasuke walk away.

"What the hell?!"  
>He turned back to Kagome and she watched his brow furrow. He let out a frustrated sigh before pointing at Bankotsu.<p>

"Don't let anything happen to her, get me?" his tone was fierce and Kagome could see he was irritated.

"Or you'll have me to deal with."

Bankotsu chuckled dryly, "Is that a threat kid?"

Naruto hnned but his grin was one of pure confidence. He turned back to Kagome and his face sobered a bit.

"Just be careful. Ok?"

Kagome nodded and stepped away from Miroku. Walking up to Naruto she wrapped her arms around him. He tucked her head under his chin and sighed, winding his arms around her back.

"I will be fine. I promise."

He nodded but Kagome knew he didn't believe her.

Sighing she pulled back from him and pressed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

When she pulled back he was blushing from forehead to his neck. She laughed and pulled out of his arms.

"For luck, ok?"

He nodded before turning and sprinting the same direction Sasuke had gone.

Bankotsu laughed from behind her, "I think you just traumatized the poor boy."

Kagome rolled her eyes and kicked a pebble at him. Bankotsu dodged it easily and they continued their stroll to the academy.

…

Sasuke seethed.

Why was she doing this?

He walked silently by Naruto and Sakura but his inner turmoil was anything but. Did Kagome have a death wish?

_What happens if those other ninja find her somewhere alone? _

He felt his chest tighten at just the thought of it.

There was something wrong with the other ninja. He couldn't place his finger on it. Whatever it was though he had no delusions.

If Gaara came across Kagome he would butcher her. There would be no remorse, no hesitation.

Didn't she realize he wouldn't be able to protect her here?

He glared at the ground. Of course not.

And right now she wouldn't listen to a word he had to say.

Why for hells sake couldn't she just see he was trying to look out for her?

_Because then she wouldn't be the stubborn Kagome that you have come to know. _

He grumbled at the voice of reason in the back of his mind. Right now he didn't want to be reasonable. What he wanted to do was turn around, find the raven haired female, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her home. Once there he would tie her up and throw her in the closet.

Anything to keep her safe.

As his thoughts wrapped around him Sasuke didn't realize they had arrived at the testing area. Other groups of ninja stood around talking excitedly. He paid them no attention and decided to place himself away from the others. He would need a moment to compose himself any way.

The sound of Sakura's surprised outburst drew him from his brooding though. As he looked up Sasuke barely contained his laughter.

One of the other ninja, he couldn't have been much older than them, was down on one knee. From what he caught of their conversation the boy was declaring undying love to Sakura.

She, though, did not share in his feelings.

The green dressed boy didn't seem to understand that she was rejecting him though and continued.

Sasuke snickered and attracted the attention of Sakura's new found love interest. He watched the boys eyes widen and sparkle before he addressed Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke! I challenge you to a duel!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Come again?"

The boys exceptionally large eyebrow twitched, "My name is Rock Lee and I have heard of the Uchiha, so I figured that this would be as good as chance as any to _test my abilities._ That, and…"

His gaze focused on Sakura who appeared horrified.

Sasuke chuckled dryly, "I'll show you first hand how formidable the Uchiha are."

Naruto scoffed and crossed his arms. Why did always have to be Sasuke? Why was he always dismissed?

Angry now he stepped in front of Sasuke before he could advance.

"I'll take him."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and Sakura glared.

Naruto didn't seem to notice though, his anger focusing solely on the boy in front of them.

"It'll take a whole two minutes, then we can be on our way."

The green dressed boy regarded Naruto but quickly dismissed him. Irritated now Naruto rushed forward intent on proving he was every bit as a formidable an opponent as Sasuke.

The other boy turned just as Naruto advanced and simply grinned. With out much effort the other ninja dodged Naruto's first advance. Shocked and irritated Naruto swung around, attempting to take Lee's feet from beneath him. Lee simply side stepped and sent Naruto spinning into the wall behind them.

Sasuke scoffed and rolled his shoulders back.

"Now that that's done. Shall we?"

….

They took their time to reach the testing area. Bankotsu and Miroku had gone over every strategy they could with her. She noticed a pattern, though.

It seemed that in every battle they could think of she was going to run to safety.

"You know I can fight."  
>Bankotsu chuckled dryly, "Yea, but what happens if your caught? With your wrist still all kinds of jacked up you cant really take one on one very well."<p>

Kagome harrumphed and crossed her arms.

Miroku laughed and ruffled the shorter girls hair, "Its ok Kagome-chan. Bankotsu is just worried."

Kagome swatted at his hand as they ascended the stairs towards the exams.

The scene they happened on confused Kagome for the second time that day. Sasuke was spinning in the air, a boy in a green jumpsuit spinning behind him. She felt her pulse jump into her throat as she ran forward.

A second later a commanding voice echoed through the air. The boy in the green jumpsuit stopped and came to the ground. Sasuke landed harshly after. It took him just a moment to recover, but the murderous look he held when he looked at the other boy told her everything.

"What have I told you about doing that technique, Lee?"

Kagome looked over at the pair and watched as an older man and the young boy, she was guessing his name we Lee, exchanged words. She couldn't help but stare though.

_I-is that a turtle?_

The older man stood atop a turtle as he scolded the younger boy.

It was odd.

She watched as the older man hit the younger boy and winced. Lee flew across the room and Kagome winced when he connected with the wall. But where she expected the boy to jump up and retaliate he simply walked up to the older man.

Then the pair started to cry and shout something about youth.

From there she tuned them out.

Instead Kagome looked over at Sasuke. He was standing off to the side, arms crossed, still looking as angry as ever. A niggling voice in the back of her mind told her to go over to him. To talk to him. Even though he was mad at her, he was still her friend.

Aside from the fact that they were about to go against ninja that scared her to her core. Before she could walk over to him he glanced at her and their eyes met. From just the way he looked at her she thought twice about advancing towards him.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Bankotsu. He wasn't looking at her though. His gaze was focused on Sasuke.

"Don't worry Kags." he looked down at her then, "that boy will come around."

Kagome sighed and nodded. She allowed him to lead her towards the stairs to the second level.

She could feel his dark eyes follow her as she continued up the stairwell.

They traveled up four flights of steps to a room flanked by Shinobi. They nodded to the trio as they passed into the doorway. She took a moment to look around and realized there were many people there not from Konoha. She recognized a few of the nations symbols but many of them she did not.

Choosing not to draw attention to themselves the team moved over to the side away from the others. Though that didn't stop them from being noticed.

"Kagome?!"

She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

_Can this get any worse?_

Inuyasha walked up to her from the crowd, flanked by Koga and Yura. She could feel tension filling the air as both Bankotsu and Miroku moved in front of her.

"That's far enough Taisho."

Inuyasha stopped and glared at Bankotsu. Bankotsu's hand rested on Banryuu's hilt for the second time that day, though this time a cruel smile curled his face. Kagome could almost here his thoughts, begging Inuyasha to come forward.

Deciding she didn't want to see the two fight, she addressed Inuyasha from her spot behind the pair.

"Yes, Inuyasha?"

He shifted his gaze away from Bankotsu to her and Kagome saw anger bleed into his amber eyes.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing here?"

Kagome shook her head, "Taking the exam?"

Inuyasha chuckled dryly, "The hell you are!"

He shifted as if he were going to take a step forward and Bankotsu pulled banryuu. He leveled the great halberd and the giant sword tip rested against Inuyasha's chest.

"Come on. I dare you."

Inuyasha froze, looking down at the beast of a sword. Kagome watched as he calculated his chances a moment before he relaxed. His gaze turned back to Kagome, mock concern painted across his features.

"You just got out of the hospital. Are you sure you should be doing this?"

Kagome smiled, though it was not a nice gesture, "You don't need to worry about me."

_Not yet._

Inuyasha's eyes hardened, "Fine. But I wont be able to come to rescue if you get into _trouble._"

Kagome didn't like the way he emphasized the last word.

It seemed as though Miroku shared her thoughts and he took a step forward.

"What are you doing here anyway? Didn't we win?"

Koga spoke this time, "Not quite. Kagome never made back to your base, after all."

Yura snickered and Inuyasha sighed. He was about to say something else but a commotion from the other side of the room drew all their attention.

Kagome heard Naruto's voice break over the crowd and pressed her palms to her face.

_Oh Naruto. What are you doing?_

The room was quiet as every eye turned towards the boisterous blonde. Kagome moved to walk over to him but a hand on her wrist stopped her. She looked up to see Miroku, once again, had grabbed her. He shook his head though his gaze was not on her. His attention was focused solely on Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura where they stood by the door.

"If a fight breaks out I don't want to be in the middle of it."

Kagome's eyes widened and she tried to snatch her hand from him, "But Naruto cant-"

His grip tightened and she felt a twinge. After all, his hand was wrapped around her sore wrist. A look of pain crossed her face and Miroku dropped her wrist, his eyes widened.

"Damn it Kagome! I'm so sorr-"

Before he could finish a boy with silver hair and spectacle stepped forward and disarmed the situation. Kagome pulled her wrist to her body and moved to lean against the wall.

Bankotsu hadn't taken his attention from Inuyasha and Kagome could tell from his body language that all he was waiting for was the perfect moment. Inuyasha glared over the sword at its wielder before his attention once more fell on Kagome. A small smile curled his lips and he motioned for his team to retreat.

"I'll see you around Kagome."

She didn't answer as they moved back into the crowd.

Kagome sighed and rubbed her temples.

_This day cant get any worse. _

…

The examiner came to the front of the room and Kagome swallowed hard as he instructed for them to take their seats. She, Miroku, and Bankotsu chose seats with vantage points to one another, just in case. Even as they sat across the room from one another they made sure their was no obstacles to get to the others. Kagome watched as Naruto took a seat down in front of the room, but didn't see where Sasuke had sat. Suddenly she felt the back of her neck bloom with heat. Furrowing her brow she turned, her gaze clashing with eyes focused solely on her. Sasuke sat a couple rows back, but directly behind her. His elbows rested on the desk top, his fingers folded over his mouth. But the look he gave her nearly stole her breath. He was angry, she could tell that. But there was more than anger. She couldn't put her finger on the underlying emotion but she knew it was there. Slowly she smiled at him which only caused his fingers to tighten the slightest amount. He turned his gaze from her and once more she felt the pain bloom in her chest. Pursing her lips she turned away from him though she knew he gaze had not faltered. She could still feel him almost glare at the back of her head.

Ibiki explained the first part of the exam. They would be handed a written test with nine questions. From that point there were only two rules.

No questions. No cheating.

Kagome inwardly shrugged. Seemed simple enough. Though she had never been overly good with written tests, she was sure that it wouldn't be too difficult.

Ibiki continued, explaining that at the end of the exam each teams scores would be added up. Also that if they were caught cheating five times they were automatically disqualified.

That piqued Kagome's interest. If one of the main rules was to _not _cheat, why were they given an amount of times they could be caught doing so?

Once Ibiki was done explaining he motioned for the exam to begin. Kagome turned her test over and immediately understood.

The questions made no sense.

Not to her, any how.

She looked around the room and saw many others with the same perplexed looks. She watched Naruto's head fall and felt a twinge of regret. If the test made no sense to her she could only imagine what was going through her friends mind.

Sighing she focused around until she caught Bankotsu's eye. He nodded towards her before he looked across the room to Miroku. They, like she, understood the meaning of the test.

They had to cheat, while not cheating.

So, therefore, it was all Miroku.

Kagome turned back to her paper and waited. She knew her team mates ability. He could pick up the chi through anything, as long as it had once been living. Its what made him an excellent scout. He could fine tune vibrations through the chi and in turn could tell if something was an enemy or a squirrel. He could then push his chakra into the substance and relay a message. So no matter how far they were apart they could communicate silently and discreetly.

She glanced at Miroku and grinned. He had his hand splayed flat on the desk top, his eyes closed softly. He looked to be sleeping. But as she continued to watch she noticed his pencil scribbling furiously.

Then things became interesting.

She watched as the wood below her paper began to bubble up, forming words beneath the paper to answer each of the questions. All she had to do was write as the indentions appeared.

Her smile broadened as she began to scribble furiously. As she traced each indention the one before would disappear, leaving no trace it was there. Though she was careful as the sentinel walked beside her. He paused for a moment and she discreetly placed her arm beside her paper. She knew the trained ninja would catch her in an instant if he noticed that the indentions below her paper cast a small shadow. But by deflecting the light she cast her entire paper in a shadow. When the sentinel continued to make his rounds she removed her arm and continued to scribble furiously.

When she finished the last sentence she turned her paper over and looked around the room. Miroku had laid his head down on the desk top, though Kagome knew he was pleased with himself. Bankotsu just reclined in his seat, his hands folded behind his head.

Kagome glanced down at Naruto and to her dismay he had buried his hands in his hair. She knew he was befuddled. After all, nin jutsu wasn't one of Naruto's strong points.

_Come on Naruto. Think!_

As she watched her dismay deepened. People all around them were getting caught. Though one by one they were finishing their exams.

And Naruto still looked dumbfounded.

Sighing she laid her head on the desk, hoping against hope that this was one of his strange strategies. Maybe looking panicked was to throw off the sentinels walking around?

What felt like hours passed before Ibiki called for the exam to finish. She looked back up and saw Naruto slump in his desk as they passed their papers forward.

_He didn't pass. _

She felt lead fill her heart.

Once all the papers were collected Ibiki once more confronted the room.

"There is one more question."

Kagome felt a knot form in her gut.

_As if the first exam wasn't hard enough!_

"Get this question right, you and your team will advance. But get the question wrong, you will forfeit yourself and be dismissed. You will never be able to take the exam again, and will live out your life as a genin. However," a cruel smiled curled his face and Kagome now knew why he was the chief interrogator for the Hokage.

He was down right scary.

"If you choose, right now, to not answer, you and your team will be dismissed. But you will be able to take the test next year."

She heard furious whispers all around the room and Ibiki laid the papers down in front of him.  
>"So? Who will forfeit this year? Hmm?"<p>

To Kagome's surprise she saw a lot of hands climb into the air. Other teams cursed their weaker member as they stood up and left. The room was nearly half empty and, to her horror, she was watching Naruto's hand creep slowly into the air.

She wanted to scream out to him. To tell him not to give up. That everything was going to be ok, all he had to do was stick to it.

_Don't give up you idiot!_

A moment later, to her immense satisfaction, Naruto slammed his hand back to the desk.

"I will not be intimidated! I will become Hokage, even if I have to do it as a genin!"

Kagome felt like jumping for joy. Now _that _was the Naruto she knew!

Ibiki simply chuckled as the rest of the quitters and their teams exited the room.

Silence fell over the rest as they waited.

Once the door closed Ibiki regarded the room, his face harsh. Then a wide grin curled his scared lips.

"You all pass!"

Kagome latterly melted in her chair. She looked over ay Miroku and Bankotsu and watched them exchange grins. Naruto she watched Naruto lay his head on the desk and exhume a sigh of relief.

She didn't look at Sasuke, but she was sure that he had a pleased look on his face.

"The first nine questions," Ibiki explained, "were to asses your information gathering skills. After all, to be discreet is the heart of being ninja. The tenth question, well, that was my own. I wanted to see who would quit now and take their entire team with them, or preserver despite the obstacles."

Kagome shook her head and leaned back into the seat. With the first part of the exam done, she couldn't help but wonder about the second stage.

As if to answer her questions the window shattered from the front of the room. Standing in a rain of glass was Anko, her purple hair pulled back in its usual style. She addressed the room with harsh eyes.

"Now that the babies have been sent home comes the real test! You will all meet me outside the Forest of Death tomorrow morning! Get some sleep tonight and prepare yourselves!"

Kagome sighed and stood up. The scraping of chair rang through the air as everyone stood up and filed to leave.

For the first time since they had arrived Kagome glance back at Sasuke. But he wasn't paying attention to her. Sakura was busy beside him, ranting on about how the exam wasn't hard for someone with her intellect. She could tell he was deliberately ignoring her, though.

"Hey Kagome, you ready?"

She jumped and Bankotsu laughed from behind her. She turned away from Sasuke and mock glared at him.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!"

He raised an eyebrow, "I didn't sneak. You were just busy making googly eyes at your _lover _boy Sas-"

Kagome pounced on him before he could finish. A dark blush painted her cheeks as she pressed her hand tightly over his mouth.

"Shut _up _Bankotsu."

He laughed from behind her hand as Miroku joined them. Kagome grinned at her other team mate and released Bankotsu to hug Miroku.

"Have I ever told you that I really love that technique?"

He chuckled and Kagome, for just a moment, had forgotten she was on a team with one of the most perverted ninja in Konoha. She remember almost instantly, though, when she felt his hands reach to wrap around and rub her bottom.

Her eyebrow began to twitch and the resounding slap echoed through the room. All eyes turned to the pair as she crossed her arms, face a delightful shade of red. Miroku lay on the floor, a giant red hand print across the side of his face. Bankotsu was rolling around on the floor, laughing so hard tears streamed down his face.

"What in all creation did you think you were doing?" Kagome hissed, glaring down at Miroku.

He chuckled, rubbing the side of his face, "Why Kagome! I couldn't help myself! Damn this cursed hand of mine, it has a mind of its own I swear!"

Kagome's jaw ticked, "Maybe I should cut it off then?"

Miroku swallowed uneasily, unsure if she was joking or not. Deciding not to take his chances he stood up and folded his hands behind his back.

Turning to Bankotsu she nudged him in side with the toe of her shoe.  
>"And what, by all means, is so funny?"<p>

Bankotsu sobered slightly, wiping tears from his eyes, "You should have seen that coming."

Kagome grumbled under her breath before turning away from the pair. Suddenly she realized that every gaze was turned to their direction. Most of the others had amused looks, while some just rolled their eyes and turned back to their conversation.

Kagome's eyes locked onto that of the stoic Uchiha. To he internal delight he had an amused grin on his face, his eyes softening a bit as they met hers.

For the second time that day a slow smile curled her face. She nearly jumped up in down when he returned her smile with a grin of his own.

It wasn't an apology, but it was a start.

Bankotsu stood up and cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to them.

"See? Told you."

Kagome rolled her eyes, but she her smile was unwavering. A tightness she hadn't realized was there eased from her shoulders as she regarded her team.

"We should get going. I'm sure Jakotsu-sensei is waiting."

Miroku and Bankotsu groaned but nodded and they filed out of the room with the others.

….

Sasuke wasn't sure what he had been thinking.

Hours after the exam had ended he stood outside the Higurashi household. When he had began his journey from his apartment he had every intention to walk right up to her and explain to her how her venture was one of insanity.

But now, standing outside of her home, he was frozen. It felt as if Shikimaru had cast his shadow jutsu on him. Even as his mind screamed for him to walk up to the house he couldn't force his body to comply.

A cold knot formed in his stomach. What if she refused to talk to him? What if her anger hadn't cooled enough yet?

Taking in a deep breath he forced himself to walk up the short pathway. There was no use in denying it. He didn't care at this point.

He had to talk to her.

They had never fought before, had never even had the smallest of skirmishes. Not since the day they had met so long ago.

He didn't like it.

Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and knocked on the door. A part of him hoped that no one would hear. That he could turn around and convince himself that he had tried.

But, to both his dismay and joy, he heard the door lock click open. Standing in the doorway was Kagome's sofu. His elderly face showed surprise at first before a knowing smile curled his face.

"Kagome's out back, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke nodded and stepped into the home as the elderly Higurashi moved from the entrance.

He had been through the small house a million times before. Kagome's kaa-san was never one to turn him away, always offering him a hot meal or a spare bed. But as he walked through he felt his heart jump into his throat. His thoughts, usually so neatly organized, were a jumbled mess.

What was he going to say?

His heart pounded so hard he could feel it in his ear drums, could taste it on the back of his tongue. The sensation was flooring for the young Uchiha. He had never been so unsure of something his entire life.

Shaking his head Sasuke stilled his racing thoughts. There was no reason for this uncertainty. After all, it was just Kagome.

_This is stupid! Its not like I'm in love with the girl!_

The thought came out of no where, but once it was there, he couldn't shake it. Though he wasn't sure what the emotion he had for her was, he knew it was something he shared for no other female with in the village. She was constantly on his mind. Every time he was in close proximity to her he felt his stomach flutter. When she touched him everything else melted away…

He didn't know what it was.

But it couldn't be _love_.

Uchiha Sasuke had no time for that silliness.

He came to the sliding door and stared out at the back yard. Kagome lounged against the giant tree, her eyes closed in relaxation. The sun was setting, bringing a fiery light to her obsidian locks. She was dressed for relaxation, her sweat pants hanging low and bagging on her hips while her plain white tank top ended just above her naval.

Sasuke took a deep breath in through his nose and let it out through his mouth. The fluttering was back, but this time it fogged his mind. He remembered how she had been so close just the day before. How the urge to kiss her had been so strong he had nearly been taken over by it. Watching her now he could feel the same longing.

Shaking his head he rolled his shoulders and straightened his spine. He would _not _let this silly emotion control him.

He was Uchiha.

Nodding to himself he slid the door open a little rougher than he meant to. Her eyes snapped open and Sasuke's thoughts froze.

She had always had beautiful eyes. That was something he would not deny. But within the fading light her eyes sparkled like trapped stars. If he weren't careful he would loose himself with in there cobalt depths.

"Sasuke?"

He swallowed and forced his face neutral. Anything was better than grinning like an idiot.

Nodding he closed the door behind him before making his way through the yard. Her gaze never faltered from his, though he saw the uncertainty with in. His lips turned into a small smile as he sat down next to her.

For a moment they sat in silence, simply staring at one another. Curiosity burned in her eyes along with another emotion. One Sasuke could not place his finger on. A light blush dusted her cheeks and she turned away from him. Pulling her legs up she rested her chin atop her knees.

Sasuke sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Now that he was here, sitting beside her, his brain was blank. When he finally was able to think of something to say he refused to utter the words.

He was not going to sound like a blithering fool in front of her.

So they sat in silence.

Moments dragged by as they sat next to one another. They sat so close that if one shifted just so they would be touching. This fact didn't go unnoticed to the young Uchiha, but he also didn't move.

Finally, after what felt like eons, she spoke.

"What are you doing here?"

Sasuke sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "I wanted to see you."

Kagome turned to him, her cheek now resting atop her knees. He saw the strange emotion once more and uncertainty filled him. The knot forming in his stomach tightened as he continued.

"I wanted to…"

The words died on his lips. Wanted to what? To apologize? To rant and rave on how stupid she was being in the whole endeavor?

_Too kiss her?_

The thought came out of no where. The moment it crossed his subconscious he shut it down. Forced it to the deepest part of his mind and locked the door.

That was _not _going to happen.

His mind raced, trying to find a way to finish the sentence. All the while her gaze never faltered from his.

Suddenly he remembered. Something he had mentioned to her before his last mission. A smile curled his face and he pulled the chain from under his shirt. The small Uchiwa fan hung at the end, glittering in the evening sun.

"I told you I would explain this to you didn't I?"

A small smile bloomed across her face and she nodded.

"Yea, you said it was customary for a male to give one to the female. Why's that?"

He chuckled and turned the little charm over between his fingers, "Well, its usually a sign of intent."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "Intent for what?"

Sasuke sighed and tucked the little charm back beneath his shirt, "When a man in the Uchiha clan set his eyes on a woman, he would make her a Uchiwa fan. He would present it to her as a proposal for, well…"

He left his statement trail off, but he knew she understood what he was trying to say. Her eyes widened a fraction before her blush bloomed in full force.

"You mean…Me giving that to you…Its like…"

Sasuke chuckled, "Pretty much. If I was anything like the rest of my clan I would have assumed you were asking me to _marry _you."

Kagome gasped and pressed her palms to her face, but Sasuke could still see her turning redder and redder. Laughter spilled from him as she shook her head, clearly embarrassed.

"Oh hell! You know I didn't mean it that way!"

Sasuke chuckled but feigned disappointment, "You mean you don't want to marry me? And here I was hoping we would be picking out living room furniture soon!"

Kagome's head snapped up, her eyes wide, "That's not…I mean, marrying you would be great! I-I mean-! Ugh!"

Sasuke laughed as she fumbled over her words. He shook his head and pressed his index finger to her forehead.

"Don't worry. I understand."

Kagome sighed but smiled. Sasuke leaned against the tree and stretched his legs out in front of him. A moment later she leaned her head against his shoulder and just like that they were back to normal.

Or, as normal as they could be.

"So are you ready for tomorrow?"

The simple question wiped the smile from Sasuke's face. He didn't move though and Kagome continued to rest her head against his shoulder.

"Kagome, you _know _I hate this, don't you?"

Kagome sighed and nodded.

"I'm not doing it to aggravate you Sasuke. I'm doing it because…"

She trailed off and he looked down at her. Her gaze was focused on something far out in the yard and he wondered what was going through her mind.

"I just need to. To prove to myself that I can."

Sasuke sighed but bit his tongue. He knew she had wanted to say something else.

At that moment, though, he would leave it alone. He didn't want to give her a reason to be angry again.

Kagome ran her teeth over her bottom lip, her thoughts a turmoil. She wanted to tell Sasuke about the Inuyasha ordeal. Wanted to tell him the only reason she was competing was to be away from him and his family.

But she was afraid.

_If I tell him will he pull away from me?_

She bit harder on her lip. She wouldn't be able to take it if he shut her out completely. She had become so used to seeing him, to being around him, that if he pulled away from her something in her would die.

She shook her head slightly and pushed those thoughts away. She would have to tell him eventually.

Not now.

Not tonight.

The only thing she wanted to do was sit there and enjoy his company.

She nuzzled deeper into his side and sighed when he threw his arm around her shoulders. For this moment nothing mattered. Nothing except for the boy sitting beside her and the setting sun behind them.

And that was enough for right now.

Ok see? Sasuke and Kagome made up. I'm kinda fumbling on how to continue with the chunin exams though. I have a couple of ideas, but the next chapter might take a few more days to get up. Ok? Just bear with me. My muse has hit me and its not going any where.

Anyway, I hope that you are all enjoying this. Please tell me how much you are by leaving reviews.


	12. Chunin exams : stage two

_Running. _

_She was running. _

_Her movements made no sound as she forced herself to go __faster. __Rain fell around her, coating her petite form in freezing moisture. Despite the fact she felt shivers rake her form she continued on. _

_She had to stop him. _

_She turned a corner and attempted an abrupt stop. Water and mud flung into the air as she slid extending one leg and dragging her hands through the sodden earth. _

_He was standing at the Konoha gates, staring up at them as the rain soaked him. She felt herself moving before her mind could process what was going on. _

_He hadn't left. _

_Not yet. _

_He didn't seem to notice her as she came up behind him. She grabbed the back of his shirt, her hands fisted tight in the sodden dark material. She buried her face between his shoulders and felt him tense. _

"_No, Sasuke, please."_

_She felt tears streak her face, a hot contrast to the frigid downpour. She felt him trying to turn and held on tighter to his shoulders. _

"_You cant leave me."_

_He sighed, "Kagome."_

_The way he said her name, the finality in his voice, was almost to much to bear. Her knees buckled as the pain with in her chest tripled. She slid down his back to his feet, her hands now flat on the ground. She heard his shoes squelch as he turned but she refused to look up at him. Tears still fell even as she tried to subdue them. _

_She felt warmth on the side of her face, the gentleness of his fingers running down her cheeks. His thumb played against her lips as his hand gently cupped the side of her face. The sincerity of his action made her feel as though she were dying. Silent sobs raked her slight form as her hands fisted in the cold mud underneath her. _

"_Kagome, open your eyes."_

_She shook her head. She couldn't force herself to look at him. _

_He was so close she could feel the heat of his breath on her lips as he spoke again. _

"_Please. Let me see those beautiful eyes."_

_His voice was so gentle, so sincere, she was taken off guard. Slowly her lashes parted as she turned her face up to him. _

_His smile was small and sad as he looked down at her. His fingers still played with the side of her face as her heart was breaking. _

"_Please don't leave me." she pleaded, her voice a shaking whisper. _

_He sighed and did something she was not expecting. _

_Sasuke leaned forward and pressed his warm lips to her frigid ones. Her eyes widened a fraction, surprise taking over the pain for a single heartbeat. _

_She returned his embrace clinging to him as if he were air and she was drowning. He pulled her tighter to his chest, one arm wrapped around her back, his hand moving from her face to the base of her skull. _

_She poured everything she had left into her kiss. Attempting in one last effort to change his mind. _

_To make him stay. _

_She felt the warmth of his lips leave hers as he broke their embrace. He didn't move back, didn't move from her embrace. Dazed, her eyes fluttered open and a sea of read and black filled her vision. _

_Her mind cleared instantly as she felt ice enter her veins. She struggled against him, but his hold tightened on the back of her head, forcing her to lock her gaze with his. Her lips parted but her objection fell silent as tears once more fell from the side of her eyes. Even as her mind threw up defenses she knew it was too late. Sasuke's sharing an tour through her mind as darkness began to eat at her vision. _

_She felt his hold on her hair ease as her body began to slide. He didn't let her hit the ground through. He directed her to fall against him, his arms wrapping around her in a warm embrace._

_Kagome fought the darkness as hard as she could, but the impulse to sleep was taking control. She could hear his heart beat in his chest and his warmth surround her. Her struggle was futile and as her eyes slipped closed she felt his lips brush against her ear as he planted a gentle kiss. _

"_I will always love you, Higurashi Kagome."_

_She wanted to rebel, to scream and yell. If he loved her so much why was he leaving her?_

_Darkness took her vision then and a feeling of utter loss overwhelmed her. _

…_._

"Sasuke!"

Kagome sat straight up, her cry falling on deaf ears. Eyes wide she looked around, confused for a moment by her surroundings. She was in her room, in her bed. The sky outside was clear, dawn just starting to chase away the darkness.

She closed her eyes and sighed, leaning against her head board. Shaky hands ran through sweat soaked hair as she tried to digest what had just happened.

It had been a dream?

Slowly her hands slid down her face. It had been so real.

She could still feel the mind numbing pain in her chest.

Shaking her head she rubbed her palms over hers eyes. Surprise filled her as she pulled her palms away and saw moisture coating her hands.

_I was crying in my sleep?_

Shaking her head she pushed her blanket away and stood up. Her home was still silent as everyone slept, but the tranquility was lost to her. Still mentally shaken she walked over to her dresser and began to pull her clothes for the day.

She was not getting any more sleep.

…

"Begin!"

The gates to the Forest of death popped open as the second stage began. Sasuke led team seven into the dark underbrush, apprehension eating at the back of his mind. Not that he wasn't sure of his own skills. The other members of his team, though, had him slightly concerned.

He stopped and the rest of team seven followed his lead. He looked around the forest, studying his surroundings. The forest was like nothing he had ever experienced.

"Everything is so quiet."

Silently Sasuke agreed with Sakura's statement. There were no birds, no sounds of wildlife.

Nothing.

"This is freaky."

Naruto chuckled shakily at her statement, "It'll be ok, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke looked over at the confident blonde as he began to fidget. Suddenly he stepped off to the side, claiming that he had to pee.

Sakura, mortified, hit him in the back of the head.

"Go behind the tree you idiot!"

Sasuke suppressed his grin as the blonde trudged behind the brush supporting a new welt on the back of his cranium.

They stood in silence as they waited for him to finish. Sasuke attempted to survey the surroundings, but he couldn't get a feeling for the dark forest.

Naruto returned moments later, sighing with relief.

Sasuke glanced over at the blonde and his eyes narrowed.

With practiced ease he launched a kunai at the blonde. Naruto, shocked, back peddled.

"Sasuke! It wasn't that big of a deal!" Sakura objected, "He went behind the bushes!"

Sasuke ignored her and regarded the blonde, "Where is Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened, "I am Naruto!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Wrong."

He pulled another kunai from his pouch and launched it at the blonde. Naruto evaded and gave Sasuke a shocked look.  
>"What are you doing?"<p>

Sasuke shook his head, "Your copy is a poor one. Naruto has a scar on his face from earlier this morning Also," he motioned to the kunai pouch on Naruto's leg, "Naruto is right handed. He wouldn't strap his weapons to his left leg."

Naruto's smile was cold, "Crap."

A cloud of smoke enveloped Naruto. Suddenly a different ninja appeared, his face masked. He rushed at the two ninja, throwing shirukan as he moved. They easily evaded and Sasuke engaged him away from Sakura. She stood below the fight, her eyes focused in slight awe. Sasuke wanted to throw something at her.  
>"Sakura! Keep your attention on everything else! He may not be alone!"<p>

Sakura blinked rapidly before nodding and refocusing her attention. Sasuke's momentary distraction seemed to be the only thing the enemy needed, though. He was able to come up behind Sakura and get a kunai to the back of her throat.  
>"Hand over your scroll, or I will gut you."<p>

Sasuke grumbled under his breath and was able to force their enemy away from Sakura. He leaped into the trees, Sasuke hot on his heals.

_Where is that idiot!_

Suddenly Naruto came into view, his wiggling laying on the forest floor. Sasuke, exasperated, threw his kunai and cut his bindings before pursuing after their enemy.

They were able to injure the masked ninja and he chose to make his escape, grumbling that coming alone had not worked to his benefit.

Sasuke ran his hand through his hair in exasperation and regarded his team.

"We need a password."

…

It felt like they had been traveling through the dark forest for hours. Bankotsu had taken point, Miroku on rear guard. Kagome ran between them, her senses stretched to their limit as she surveyed all around. A small brown sack hung between her breasts, a white sutra stuck across the flap. When they had been given the scroll that morning Miroku had brandished the leather pouch and tied it around her neck before sealing it himself. He had stated that no other could open it, save for Kagome. Since she was the quickest they figured if they ran into trouble she would be able to relocate with out much problem.

She had objected, of course. They acted as if she was only going to run away if her team ran into trouble. Bankotsu had simply given her a flat look before bringing up the fact of her wrist.

"_I also promised your kaa-san that nothing would happen to you. And I really don't want her pissed at me."_

Kagome looked down at the bouncing leather and sighed. She worried about their protectiveness over her. Would it distract them if they got into trouble?

Shaking away her thoughts she refocused her energy. On top of scanning ahead, she was doing her best to mask her chakra. After all, it wouldn't do for someone to get the drop on them.

Suddenly Bankotsu dropped from the trees. Kagome and Miroku followed his lead, allowing themselves to drop to the forest floor.

Bankotsu surveyed the area, his hands fisted on his hips.

"We'll make camp here."

Kagome crossed her arms, "We should keep moving."

Bankotsu's gazed locked with hers, "You need to rest. I have been watching you rubbing your wrist for the past hour."

Kagome glared at him, "I'm fine."

Miroku placed a hand on her shoulder, "Its ok Kagome-chan. We'll rest here for a bit then continue."

Deciding not to argue with the both of them she sighed and sat down. Bankotsu surveyed the trees above them and shook his head.

"I'm going to scout the area. You two stay alert."

They nodded and Bankotsu disappeared into the underbrush. Kagome huffed in exasperation as Miroku knelt down beside her.

"Why is he treating me like some fragile china doll?"

Miroku chuckled and rummaged through his pockets, "He's worried. Neither one of us wants to see you hurt. Not after last time."

Kagome nodded and pulled her knees to her chest.

Miroku pulled a small bag from his pocket and handed it to Kagome.

"Mix it with a little bit of water and then drink it."

Kagome examined the bag of dry powders and herds and regarded him with a skeptical look.

"What is it?"

Miroku sat down beside her, "it's a medicine my uncle makes. It will help with the inflammation and pain in your wrist."

Kagome nodded and palmed the little bag.

"How does your family know all of this stuff anyway?"

Miroku chuckled, "My family comes from a long line of healers. Even before the Shinobi practice of it."

Kagome nodded once more. It made sense.

A crash filled the forest, followed by screams. Both Miroku and Kagome jumped up, instantly going into defensive positions. Kagome tried to swallow her pulse as she scanned the darkness that surrounded them.

_That sounded like Sakura. _

She felt a pressure on her arm and nearly jumped into the trees. She turned and Miroku's cautious eyes met hers.

"You have to stay here."

Kagome narrowed her eyes, "I wasn't-"

He silenced her with a skeptical look.

"I know what you are thinking. That _did _sound like Haruno Sakura."

She opened her mouth to object but Miroku interjected.

"Look. We cant go gallivanting off to rescue them when we have our own issues to deal with. They knew what they were getting themselves into."

"But Naruto-"

Miroku sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Look, he's a lot stronger than you give him credit for. He may not be the brightest bulb in the box," his stern look was broken with a small smile at that, "but he will be fine. I'm sure of it."

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and harrumphed. Though she knew what he was saying to be true, it still didn't make her feel any better.

After all, Naruto and Sasuke were _her _boys.

_And Sakura doesn't have a clue what the hell she is doing half the time!_

She took in a slow deep breath through her mouth and let it out through her nose. When that didn't work she tried to slowly count to ten. To no avail though. She _still _wanted to run into the darkness and find them.

A rustling next to them had Miroku moving in front of her, his a strange golden stick in his hand.

Bankotsu walked from the underbrush, his arms laden with twigs and small branches. Kagome sighed and attempted to relax her shoulders. Miroku stood, but his stance was one of caution. He held his stance between Bankotsu and Kagome and watched as the other male dropped his load.

"Find anything?"

Bankotsu shrugged and regarded the two with a grin, "Nah, the forest is quiet."

Miroku nodded, but still didn't move from his space in front of Kagome. Bankotsu busied himself making a fire, choosing to ignore Miroku's skeptical gaze. Kagome stood up and moved to help him but was halted by Miroku's arm. She looked up at him, eyes curious, but any question she had died on her lips. Miroku was still studying Bankotsu, his face cautious. Kagome felt her team mate gently push her behind him as his other hand silently dug through his pocket.

Bankotsu looked up at Miroku and smirked and Kagome finally understood. The way Bankotsu's face contorted was unlike anything she had ever seen. Ice filled her veins as realization filled her.

This was _not _Bankotsu.

Suddenly Miroku pushed her back even further. His movements were so fast Kagome barely had time to regain her balance before he was on top of the doppelganger. Miroku had brandished a golden rod from his pocket. The weapon didn't look like much, but even as she watched, if grew to the height of Miroku. In a flurry of sparks and the clang of metal on metal Kagome watched Bankotsu block Miroku's attack with a kunai. He never even reached for Banryuu.

"Where is Bankotsu?" Miroku snarled, swinging his newly formed staff at the others head,

The intruder laughed, "Oh he's fine. _for now."_

The intruder flipped back and was engulfed with a puff of smoke. A tall boy stood above them, his dark hair tied at the back of his head. Kagome slipped her hand in to her shirukan pouch as she studied the foe. She did not recognize his national allegiance, but could feel the energy radiating off of him. His stance was cocky as her surveyed them, dark tanned arms crossed over his chest.

"Give me your scroll," his smirk was cruel now, "and we may let your team mate live."

Miroku snarled at the foe, "Release Bankotsu and we may let you _walk _away."

That wiped the smile from their enemies face. Suddenly he was gone.

Another flash of sparks had Kagome whipping around to Miroku. The foe had gone after him, a long thin blade now in his hands. Miroku countered with his staff and Kagome stood in awe as the battle waged between them.

Suddenly she could feel the thrum of electricity in the air. Lightening cracked through the forest canopy and Kagome had to dodge the great bolts as they exploded against the forest floor. She leapt into the trees and watched as the underbrush erupted in a flurry of motion. Another man ran through, blood running from a gash above his left eye. She felt every hair on her body stand as static energy filled the air.

Suddenly Bankotsu burst through the underbrush, his mighty halberd gripped in both hands. His angry blue eyes shined as electrify cracked the air around him.

"Get back here you bastard! Try to kidnap me?! The hell are you thinking?!"

Even in the tense situation Kagome couldn't help but smile. Leave it to Bankotsu to drum up a witty banter in the middle of a battle.

The foe fighting Miroku cursed and leaped back. The man running from Bankotsu came to his side looking frazzled. Kagome noticed that part of his clothing looked singed and he was shaking as if he had just been shocked.

"What the hell happened?"

His singed and bloody team mate regarded Bankotsu with fear.

"W-we didn't take his sword. D-didn't think it mattered."

Bankotsu chuckled harshly and shouldered his halberd. He looked over at Miroku and then up at Kagome.

"You guys ok?"

They both nodded, Miroku tapping his staff on the ground, "We're doing just fine with out you."

Bankotsu tapped Banryuu on his shoulder and regarded the pair.

"Be on the look out. There's one more."

As if Bankotsu had issued a silent cue the area began to fill with mist. Kagome, nervous, stood and looked to the trees above them. A feminine laugh filled the air as the mist thickened. Kagome's skin suddenly felt sticky and as she held her hand out she watched a clear fluid begin to coat her skin.

Suddenly a female voice came from just behind her, close enough she could feel her breath on her ear.

"Sirens song."

Kagome turned, brandishing her shirukan. She swiped at the person behind her, but met only more of the sticky mist.

Suddenly the mist began to swirl around her. Her mind became fizzy, her thoughts running together. Gripping her head she knelt down, fearing she would fall. She could hear someone calling to her, but they were so far away. Suddenly everything felt so heavy, all she wanted to do was lay down.

Everything would be better if she could just close her eyes.

_Just for a minute._

"You cant sleep here, silly girl."

The familiar voice broke through the fuzziness and Kagome looked up. Shock filled every fiber of her being as she looked into warm obsidian eyes. He knelt down in front of her, his sun kissed face healthy, smile lines crinkling around his eyes. His hand reached out to her and Kagome felt tears sting her eyes.

"T-tou-san?"

Higurashi Tai smiled at his daughter, "Who else would I be silly girl?"

Hands shaking Kagome reached out to him. Long fingers wrapped around her wrist, his palm pressed against hers. He pulled her to her feet and Kagome felt more tears.

He chuckled and brought her into his warm embrace, "It's ok my little one. I'm here."

Kagome clutched the front of his yukata, taking in a deep breath. He smelled of sandal wood and jasmine and sunshine. Everything she remembered.

His deep chuckle rocked her as he pulled back, "Its ok Kagome."

She nodded and wiped away her tears. Suddenly the mist around them had cleared. In its place was warm sunshine. They were no longer in the forest. Instead they stood beside the river in Konoha. The clear water reflected the trees beautifully as it gentle traveled. They stood on the river bank and Kagome could here splashing.  
>Tai laughed beside his daughter, "There's someone else that wants to see you."<p>

Kagome raised a curious eyebrow and Tai motioned to the water, "Just wait."

She watched as a form below the clear surface swam towards them. She could see distorted black hair running across pale shoulders.

He came to the river bank and Kagome felt a blush bloom across her cheeks. Sasuke chuckled and pulled himself from the water. His body glistened as the moisture fell away and she couldn't help but watch the water trail down his form. He grinned and pushed his wet hair from his face.

"Hey."

She felt her heart quicken as a small smile curved her face, "Hey yourself."

He laughed and held his hand out to her, "You nervous or something?"

She looked down at his hand and tensely reached out. He took a step forward and threaded their hands together before pulling her to him. Kagome could hear her tou-san's deep laughter as Sasuke pulled her closer to him.

"Its ok Kagome. I talked with this boy." she heard his chuckle again, "he is a much better match for you than that Taisho boy."

Kagome felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Sasuke grinned down at her and suddenly she realized just how much taller he was then her. She felt his cool fingers slide down the side of her face to her throat.

"I want to be with you Kagome."

He hooked his finger under her chin and forced her to look up at him.

"Forever."

He bent just slightly and pressed his lips to hers. Kagome's eyes widened a fraction more at the feeling of his cool kiss.

He pulled back and grinned, "Come on. Lets go for a swim."

She nodded, slightly dazed. He was pulling her back into the water, but paused. His gaze was focused on her neck and Kagome reached up, wondering what he was staring at.

Her fingers brushed the rough leather cord and confusion filled her mind. When had she put that on?

Suddenly she felt her mind start to swim. Distantly she could hear someone screaming and she shook head, trying to clear her sudden dizziness. She heard Sasuke's laugh, but the sound was strange.

"Come on Kagome. Take that off and let's swim."

She shook her head harder, "W-wait. Something's not right."

She tried to pull her hand back and his grip tightened around her wrist. His voice sounded a little further away this time.

"Come on Kagome. Don't you want to swim with me?"

She heard Tai's voice then, "Go on sweet heart. Just take off that little pouch. You don't want to ruin it, do you?"

Kagome glanced back and didn't understand what she was seeing. He tou-san looked fuzzy, like she was looking at him through a foggy mirror.

She could hear the screaming louder then, Someone was calling her name. The voice sounded so familiar and so urgent.

Her brain began to throb. Looking down at the little pouch she couldn't help the feeling like it meant something. Something important was inside.

She heard Sasuke's voice again, "Come on Kagome. Come with me."

She heard a male voice screaming her name once more and with a shock realized that she knew this voice.

_Bankotsu?_

But Bankotsu wasn't here.

Suddenly she remembered.

The river began to fade in front of her. Mist began to swirl in front of her vision. Sasuke stood beside her father, looking sad. They both had their hands outstretched to her.

"Don't you want to stay with us?"

She felt tears sting her eyes as she shook her head

"This isn't right."

_Please Kagome _

Their voices were unison in her mind. She covered her ears and shook her head harder. Tears streamed down her face unhindered. It felt like someone was trying to dig her heart out. Every part of her wanted to reach out to them. She was latterly trembling as her mind and body warred with one another.

_Please Kagome. _

It was Sasuke's voice now. She could hear his baritone echo through her mind.

_Stay with us. _

She could see his smile even with her eyes closed.

_Stay with me. _

She screamed, the sound reminiscent of a wounded animal.

Suddenly she could hear fighting around her. The sound of metal on metal, the crack of lightening. She could hear Bankotsu's voice as he cursed.

"Dammit Kagome! Wake the fuck up!"

She opened her eyes and was relieved to see that she was once again in the Forest of Death. Below her Bankotsu and Miroku still fought the other two ninja. Miroku now sported a new wound down her lift arm while Bankotsu sported small cuts around his face, as if he had been thrown through the trees more than once. Twigs protruded from his usually pristine braid. Their enemies looked worse though. Miroku's foe was fighting one handed, his left arm hanging limply at his side. Bankotsu's enemy was supporting burns across his entire body, parts of his clothing still smoked as he avoided Banryuu.

"Shit."

The angelic voice came from behind her. Kagome whipped around and saw the female from before. Her lips were painted a bloody crimson, complimenting her pale complexion very nicely. Her blonde hair flared around her, stuck in mid motion as if she had decided to spray hairspray in the middle of a hurricane. She was dressed in all white, which Kagome thought to be odd. Who would wear white in the middle of a mission?

Her obsidian eyes narrowed as she watched the green eyed female start to go through hand seals. This was the woman who had trapped her before.

She would not allow that to happen again.

Kagome forced her chakra into her legs and moved. The woman eyes widened as Kagome seemed to disappear all together. Even her chakra signature was gone.

Kagome reappeared high in the tree seconds later. Before the woman could put together a defense Kagome placed her hands on the wood below her. The wood rippled as she forced her chakra into it. It looked as if their was a creature below the bark, flowing down the tree straight towards the other woman.

She jumped into the air as the bark below her opened wide. A reptilian head protruded from the tree bark, shark teeth lining both sides of its mighty maw. Its jaws snapped shut, just out of reach of Kagome's foe.

Kagome watched the woman jump and flip through the air, landing only for a few seconds at a time. The dragon head followed her though, snapping at her every time she landed. Kagome's eyes narrowed as she pushed more chakra into the wood.

She watched as the woman flipped once more into the air. Before she could land once more Kagome had directed her attack differently. Studying her movements Kagome was able to direct her assault to the very spot the woman would land next. The moment her feet touched the bark Kagome's wooden creature spring forth. Its teeth snapped shut around her legs and Kagome could feel cold satisfaction in the other woman's pained screams.

Wasting no time Kagome advanced on her enemy. She was incapacitated from the waist down, blood ran in rivulets around the dragons teeth. Her foe, though, was not about to beaten so easily. Kagome watched as she started to run through hand seals, frantically trying to defend herself. She stopped the progression with a swift kick to the woman's face. She rocked back but, being still trapped in Kagome's jutsu, couldn't move. Kagome felt some sort of pleasure as she watched the woman's nose shatter, blood splattering on the wood from her newly split lip. Kagome hit her once more. Everything she had went into pummeling this woman. It was her fault that she ached so badly. It was her that had given her everything, had showed her just what her mind craved to see and hear. Kagome slipped into a trance like state as she thrashed the woman.

"stop!"

The rich baritone broke through Kagome's trance. She pulled back from the woman, breathing deeply. She looked down and could barely recognize her foe. She slumped over in her toothy prison, blood covering her once pretty features. Kagome took a step back, eyes widening. She could feel a sharp throb in her injured wrist and looked down at her own hands. Blood coated her knuckles and her left hand hung at a limp angle.

She had hit the woman so hard she had re-broken her wrist.

With shaking hands Kagome released her jutsu. The woman slumped and fell from the tree branch. Luckily her team mate was there to catch her. He looked down at her bloody form, then up at Kagome. She saw the same color green as the female's flash in her direction. Hatred and sadness swirled with in the depths and Kagome simply stared back.

He broke eye contact first. He turned to Bankotsu and, balancing the woman on one arm, he dug under his shirt. He pulled free a scroll, the symbol for Earth written across it in black.

"Take it." He growled, tossing the scroll into the air.

Bankotsu caught it one handed and stared back at the man.

"You're giving up? Just like that?"

He looked down at the woman in his arms then up to Kagome. His green eyes were now cold and void of all emotion.

"Its not worth the life of my sister."

He spoke while facing Kagome. Kagome broke eye contact first this time, turning her gaze downwards. She heard him huff before she heard the team make their departure.

The area filled with silence once more. Kagome pulled her throbbing wrist to her chest and jumped down from the tree. Even though she landed softly, the vibration caused white hot pain to lance up her arm. She winced and bit back tears as she held her wrist against her body.

Bankotsu shouldered Banryuu and turned to Kagome. Miroku had already made his way over to her and was gently inspecting her wrist. The appendage had nearly doubled in size and was steadily turning a nasty shade of purple. He shook his head and pulled a roll of white bandage from one of his inner pockets.

"What the hell happened Kagome?"

Miroku went to work on her wrist, giving Bankotsu a glare, "Do we really need to-"

"The fuck we don't!"

Kagome watched Miroku wrapping her wrist while Bankotsu seethed.

"One minute your just standing there staring at that girl and the next your reaching for our scroll!"

Kagome winced as Miroku tightly secured the bandage.

Her voice came out small, pain lacing every syllable she spoke.

"She showed me something. A genjutsu I have never even heard of."

Bankotsu grumbled and tapped Banryuu on his shoulder, "What the hell could she have shown you that would make you want to give up our scroll?"

She sighed as Miroku tore a strip off the bottom of his shirt for a make shift sling.

"She showed me my tou-san."

Bankotsu's mouth fell open slightly, his eyes wide. Kagome didn't look at him as tears sprang to her eyes once more.

"He was so real. I could even smell him."

She scrubbed at her face with her unhindered arm.

Bankotsu sighed and sheathed Banryuu.

"Not unlike the sirens in old fishers tales." Miroku stated, pulling his canteen off his belt. "Her genjutsu showed you your hearts deepest desires."

Kagome nodded and watched as Miroku held his hand out to her, "Can I have that little packet please?"

She nodded once more and dug through her pocket. When she didn't find it there she searched the rest of her person. Coming up empty Miroku sighed and capped his canteen once more.

"That was the only one I had."

Kagome didn't speak, her gaze directed towards the dark forest.

Miroku stood and tapped his staff on the ground, "I can probably find something here that will help, but nothing nearly as potent."

Bankotsu let out a low whistle, "Higurashi-san is going to kill me."

Kagome found a ruthful smile curling on her lips. Bankotsu clicked his tongue against his teeth before staring out at the darkness around them.

"We should continue."

Kagome and Miroku nodded and followed Bankotsu as he made his way into the darkness.

…

This was the third morning in a row she had watched the sun come up.

Kagome sat in the crook of a tree, high above the forest floor. Miroku and Bankotsu gently slumbered around her, though never allowing themselves to rest completely. She could feel Miroku's chakra thrum through the tree beneath her as he kept an ever vigilant watch.

Kagome sighed and watched the sun lighten the sky. She knew that rest was something she severely needed. She could feel her chakra depletion from their battle before, making her body ache and her wrist throb. Miroku had done his best to secure herbs as they walked, but even he couldn't see in near pitch black.

She looked down at her unusable appendage and tried to flex her fingers. The appendages remained stubbornly motionless. Truly she expected nothing else. But there was the slight hope that, maybe, she had just aggravated the injury. That the major swelling was what was causing her hand to be unusable.

She heard rustling fabric and turned to find Bankotsu stirring himself awake. He stretched his hands above his head and yawned before meeting her gaze with his own.

"Did you get any sleep?"

Kagome shook her head and turned back to the sky. A bird called from somewhere below, hunting or being hunted, she could not tell. Bankotsu shook his head and stood.

"When this is all over," he grumbled, crossing his hands across his chest, "I am going to take a shower and sleep for a week."

Miroku grumbled, his eyes still closed, "I'm looking forward to some silent meditation myself."

Bankotsu chuckled dryly, "Meditation? Who the hell are you kidding? Your going to wander down to the bath house, like usual, and _meditate _behind the woman's privacy fence!"

Miroku's sly smile said everything he would not.

Bankotsu folded his hands behind his head, "So, shall we continue?"

Kagome nodded and Miroku stood from his resting position.

They dropped from their high vantage and began their trek through the forest once more, Kagome still flanked between her two male team mates.

They traveled until light filled the forest. Kagome was sure they would be arriving at the center of the forest soon. There was a good possibly they would be first to arrive.

_After all, _she though absent mindedly, _it was by sheer luck that the Earth scroll found us._

The sound of fighting filled the forest and Bankotsu paused on the current branch he was on. He held up his hand to halt the others as well, his hand fisting around the hilt of Banryuu. He glanced back at the others and held his finger in front of his lips before pointing to the trees in front of them.

Miroku nodded and pressed his palm to the tree. Eyes closed Kagome felt his chakra enter the tree and fan out. His brows furrowed together slightly as he held up his fingers.

_Seven fighting. _

Miroku paused and held up his fingers once more.

_Three disabled._

Bankotsu motioned for them to follow him as he crept forward.

He pushed the branched aside silently and gazed down at the ensuring battle. From their vantage point they were high enough above to not get noticed whilst surveying their enemy.

Kagome silently leaped to Bankotsu's side and gazed around his broad shoulders. What she saw had her breath catching and dread filling her mind.

Below a battle raged. She recognized Sakura, Ino, Choji, and even Shikimaru. Though it was the two she didn't see that made her heart almost stopping.

"W-where are Naruto and Sasuke?"

Even though her voice was a mere whisper Bankotsu pressed his hand over her mouth. Shaking his head he motioned to a knot of tree roots off to the side of the battle. Bankotsu wrapped his arm around her waist to stop her from vaulting herself from the trees to the alcove.

Sasuke and Naruto lay their motionless. From this far away she couldn't tell if they were breathing or not. What had happened to them? Further more, why was _Sakura _still conscious?

She thrashed against Bankotsu's hold. She had to get to them.

_I knew it! I swear I will kill that pink haired numbskull if their hurt!  
><em>Bankotsu grit his teeth and held fast, though holding on to Kagome was much akin to holding a thrashing animal. She bit the hand over her mouth and he yelped.

In his surprise he released her. Kagome, taking her one and only chance, jumped from the trees. The fall jarred her wrist but she ignored the pain lancing through her mind.

Ignoring the battle around her she ran into the alcove, eyebrows knit together in worry. She knelt next to Naruto first as he was closest to her. He looked pale and she still couldn't tell from her position if he was breathing or not.

She pressed her ear to his chest and relief flooded through her as she listened to his steady heart beat.

She moved to inspect Sasuke and felt the icy fingers of dread spread through her once more. He was pale, paler than she had ever seen him. Sweat drenched his entire form and even as she watched he struggled to breath. She moved to place her shaking hand on his forehead but was halted. A sharp pain came from the back of her skull as she was dragged from the alcove back into the battle.

A boy in purple and grey held her aloft by her hair, turning her so that she would face him. The bottom part of his face was covered by bandages, leaving his eyes the only feature visible. Kagome watched as he regarded her with cruelty before tossing her away from the two into the trees around. She slammed into one of the fallen trunks, knocking the air from her body. Miroku and Bankotsu were there an instant later, forming a protective wall in front of her.

The man chuckled coldly, "Oh look, more pathetic leaves to shred."

Bankotsu turned slightly to Miroku, being careful as to never take his eyes away from the new enemy.

"You need to get Kagome out of here."

Miroku nodded and turned to Kagome. Her attention was focused else where though. Even with pain lacing each and every breath she drew in her gaze never faulted from the two boys hidden beneath the roots.

_Wake up!_ she mentally pleaded. She attempted to stand and crumpled, her attention never leaving them. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at them in near panic.

_You have to wake up!_

Miroku stepped in front of her gaze and she pushed against him. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. She struggled against him feebly. She wouldn't leave them! She had to get to them!

"Naruto! Sasuke! Open your damn eyes!" She screamed, her voice laced with panic.

The other ninja laughed as they fought on. Miroku tried to remove Kagome to the tree line and she fought him with everything she had left.

"Let me go Miroku! I need to get to them!"

He grit his teeth, "No Kagome! I have to get you-"

His sentence died on his lips as a crashing came from behind them. He turned, taking a defensive position in front her.

She peered around Miroku and felt her heart jump to her throat once more. Sasuke stood in front of the root alcove. Black strokes covered most of his face and neck as he surveyed the scene in front of him. His sharingan were blazing but his smirk was unlike anything she had ever seen.

_Something's not right. _

She watched him survey the battle before him before walking up to Sakura. Kagome heard him demand to know which one had injured her.

Sakura didn't answer, merely staring at the Uchiha with scared eyes. Sasuke took her silence as an answer though and began a ruthless assault on the enemy. Wide eyed Kagome watched as he beat the other ninja. His ruthlessness was something she had never seen before. Eyes wide she moved to stand but fell, pain exploding through out her. She fell back with a gasp, causing twigs to snap around her.

The sound gained his attention though. Sasuke paused and looked over at her. His crimson gaze narrowed as he turned to walk to her.

Miroku and Bankotsu took defense in front of Kagome, forming a wall between her and the unstable Uchiha. Sasuke looked at the two males, eyes flashing with irritation.

"Move."

Bankotsu brandished Banryuu, "You will have to go through us to get to her."

Sasuke merely rolled his eyes in a bored fashion before moving. He was a mere blur as he maneuvered around the pair. One moment Kagome was staring at the backs of Bankotsu and Miroku, the next her gaze was filled with crimson and black.

Sasuke knelt in front of her, his eyes were full of an emotion she didn't understand. Up close Kagome could see the black markings now resembled flames. Her breath caught in her throat as his lips quirked in a smile.

"Are you afraid of me, Ka-go-me?"

He ran the back of his fingers down the side of her face. She hissed as his dark chakra prickled up and down her flesh. His smile broadened a bit as he looked at her. She moved slightly and hissed as pain exploded through her once more. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Did someone hurt you?"

She didn't answer, her eyes shut tight as she tried to breath through her pain. She could feel his anger like an inferno raging across her skin.

"Who hurt _my _Kagome?"

She heard him stand and turn back to the battle.

"I. Will. Break. You."

Kagome slumped against the tree, fighting off the blackness that threatened to over come her. Her body couldn't handle what she was trying to put it through.

She felt a cool hand on her face and her eyes snapped open. Miroku knelt in front of her, his magenta eyes full of worry. Even as she stared at him though, Kagome watched his features turning fuzzy. She was exhausted and her body was demanding to rest and heal. Darkness clouded her eyes as she tried to remember just to breathe.

She slumped forward. The last image filling her vision was that of Sasuke, pinning the other ninja with both arms behind his back, and the sickening sound that came when his arms dislocated and broke.

…

Sasuke was furious.

Who would dare hurt what was his?

He turned from Kagome and moved through her team mates. The energy coursing through him was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He literally felt invincible.

He advanced on the one remaining sound ninja. His anger fueled him as he fought. The sound ninja was unprepared for his attack and fell easily.

But just defeating him would not be enough.

He needed to _break _him.

Sasuke grabbed the enemies wrists and forced his arms behind him. Pressing his foot between the sound ninja's shoulders and forced him down. A wet pop came from him as Sasuke forced his shoulders to dislocate. For a moment he reliezed that, if he so chose, he could rip the mans arms off with out a problem. That thought brought cold satisfaction. It would be a grand lesson for any one ever trying to touch what was his.

He felt warmth surround him and paused. Looked down he saw a pair of petite arms encircling his waist.

"Please Sasuke. That's enough. Please stop."

Sakura's words broke through his murderous rage. He could feel sense returning to his mind. Slowly the red mist that had surrounded his thoughts subsided. The black flames began to receded, returning to their original three spiraled dots on his shoulder.

He released the sound ninja and took a step back. His team mates rushed forward to collect their broken team mate.

"You're strong kid." one stated, glaring.

He dropped his scroll onto the ground before turning to the darkness, his team mate slung across his shoulders.

"The next time we meet, I will kill you."

The sound team left and silence enveloped the small clearing.

Sasuke felt terror replace the malice he had felt. Gently he straightened, feeling Sakura's arms fall away from him. Everything around him was destroyed and everyone was watching him wearily.

What had happened?

He heard a strangled gasp from behind and turned. Bankotsu stood in front of a knelt Miroku, Banryuu held in a defensive manner. Sasuke watched Miroku move slightly, revealing the maker of the painful mewling.

Kagome leaned heavily against a fallen tree, sweat beading her brow. Her arm laid limply in a sling tied around her neck and even from his point across the alcove he could tell it was broken. He watched as Miroku rolled her shirt up to just below her breasts. Her midsection was covered in the sickly black and purple of fresh bruises. Everybreath she took was a ragged sound as if the simple motion needed for survival hurt her.

Eyes widening, his pupils in dotting to panicked pin pricks, he took an unconscious step towards her.

_D-did I do that?_

Bankotsu tightened his grip on Banryuu, "Stay where you are, Uchiha."

There was no question in his command. Sasuke could tell from the boys hard blue eyes that Bankotsu would not hesitate to strike him down if he moved any closer to her.

"I-is she alright?"

Miroku glanced over his shoulder at the Uchiha, "I need to set the broken bones before they puncture her lungs."

He pulled a knurled root from with in his robes and offered it to Kagome. She turned her lip at him and Miroku chuckled dryly.

"Just bite down on it. It will help."

Kagome, still skeptical, did as he asked. Miroku pulled bandages from his inner pockets for a second time and took a deep breath.

"Just remember to _breath."_

She nodded and he began to bind her midsection. Sasuke watched as she bit down hard on the root in her mouth. Sweat speckled her forehead as Miroku worked to bind her broken bones. Her whimpering nearly drove him insane. Bankotsu still stood protectively in front of the pair, his halberd gripped tightly. As if he was daring Sasuke to try to come forward.

Miroku tore the slip of bandage and secured it around her. Kagome leaned heavily on the fallen trunk, eyes still closed. Miroku pulled her shirt back down and leaned back on his haunches.

"That should hold until we get you to the hospital."

Kagome shook her head, spitting out the piece of root that she had used for a bit.

"No. we finish this."

Bankotsu turned back to her and Sasuke watched tension seep into every one of his muscles.

"What the hell are you saying Kagome?"

Kagome looked up at her team mate. Pale and swear soaked she still managed to hold a hard glint in her dark eyes.

"We finish this. I am not going to quite on you guys."

Miroku ran a hand through his disheveled black hair, "Kagome, this stupid exam doesn't matter if you get killed!"

She smirked and began to shakily get to her feet. Sasuke watched her stumble and tried to come forward, but Bankotsu turned back to him and leveled Banryuu.

"Don't make me zap you _lover boy._"

Sasuke froze, his brain not registering what Bankotsu had just said.

_What did he just call me?_

He heard Kagome's sigh and turned his attention back to her. She was upright now, though she leaned heavily on Miroku.

"Bankotsu."

Bankotsu's hard face softened slightly, "Alright. Lets get out of here."

He sheathed Banryuu and turned back to Kagome. She sighed and for the first time met Sasuke's worried gaze. Her smile was small and forced, but he knew she did it for his behalf.

"Don't worry Sasuke. I'll be ok."

He didn't speak as she wrapped her unhindered arm around Miroku's shoulders.

"I'll see you guys when you get your other scroll."

Sakura spoke, "Has your team already found it?"

Bankotsu nodded, his usually cocky demeanor returning.

"Yea. So when you all catch up, we'll meet you at the tower."

He turned to his team and took Kagome's other side. As gently as he could he wrapped his arm around her before he and Miroku leaped into the canopy, disappearing once more.

Flabbergasted Sasuke watched them go, his mind still racing. Turning back to the others he, mind still racing, he joined them.

_The first step is to get this exam done with._

Reaffirming himself, he sighed.

_Everything else can wait. _


End file.
